


The Door

by Lastsyns



Series: The door [1]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate selfs, Anal Sex, Council of the Time Lords, Door between Universes, Gallifrey, Gunshot Wounds, Hiding, Injured Doctor, M/M, Medical Procedures, Multiple Doctors (Doctor Who), Running, Threesome - M/M/M, evil doctor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 00:04:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 37,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3956938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lastsyns/pseuds/Lastsyns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes an ordinary wall, isn't ordinary at all. When a mysterious door is discovered in the hub, what is on the other side will change their lives forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was a wall in the Torchwood hub. It was just an ordinary wall that separated the rift computers from the cold dirt that was behind them. Nobody ever thought twice about the wall as it did what a wall should do. Nobody ever thought twice about the voices that they heard sometimes either. That was just part of working at Torchwood. Strange things happened all the time and everyone just learned to let it go.

Times changed at Torchwood and people came and went following their day to day schedules. Only one man stayed at night. He would sit by the rift computers drinking his coffee, reading a book or working on his paper work. His phone on the desk beside him as he worked. Over the years his phone, just like the technology in the hub had advanced. It now had the capability of taking pictures and was used at crime scenes to photograph evidence. Pictures were strictly forbidden with in the hub though. If they had been allowed though then maybe the ordinary wall would have been found out sooner.

For you see sometimes a wall isn't just a wall and only by accident can someone discover what it truly is, a door.

-DW-

The Master sat on the crystal white sand watching as his companion Marta Jones, ran along the beach. The stars shone brightly overhead and he marveled at them. Even after 900 years he could still find comfort in the stars. They had been his playground since he was a child and he was sure he would run in them until the day he died. When that time came though, per tradition he was suppose to be buried among them. He wondered if there would be anyone who could do it for him.

He had been alone ever since the Time War had destroyed his family and nearly his entire race. The horrible war had devastated more species then he could name and that was saying something. For he was a Time Lord and his memory was better then most. He had swore he would never take companions on again after the last time. The last time she had turned on him and joined with his once friend the Doctor. Still Marta was different and Marta had earned his trust. She was training to be a veterinarian and was eager to learn about the different species they encountered. He wondered if he should be offended by that, but chose not to for the time being.

"Are you sure he didn't follow us here, Master?" Marta asked as she flopped down by his side.

"I am sure. I would be able to feel the Doctor if he was near." The Master answered with a smile. Reaching out he hugged Marta with one arm and she leaned into his touch. "We are safe. Besides I have my TARDIS set to alert us if he comes near." The Master looked at his box affectionately. She had been his oldest and dearest friend ever since he had left Gallifrey with his granddaughter. The TARDIS was suppose to change shape where ever they landed to blend into the environment but his was stuck as a red phone booth. He liked it though. Sometimes he thought about fixing the circuit but he just never got around to it.

"What do you think he is planning?" Marta asked with concern as she straightened up again.

"I don't know," The Master responded as he gazed up at the stars once more. Whatever the Doctor was planning it couldn't be good.

-DW-

Jack sat at the rift computer working. Though he had papers spread out in front of him, he really didn't care. It was hard to care about much these days and even if he found work their wasn't anyone to work. He was slowly losing the members of his team and it was only a matter of time until Gwen joined them, leaving him alone to run Torchwood. It was times like this that he wished he would have taken up the offer of the Doctor to travel among the stars with him. If he had though, he wouldn't have been there to comfort Ianto during his dying moments. Still Ianto might have lived if he hadn't been here. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he tried to push the thought of the Welshman away.

His phone beeped and wondering who it could possibly be at this late hour he picked it up. A smile crossed his face when he saw Martha's number. *You should be sleeping,* the message read.

*How do you know you didn't wake me,* He responded. Neither one of them slept as much as they should and knew the other one would be awake in the early hours. Jack because of being immortal and an insomniac and her because of her crazy work hours at the hospital. Sill it was nice to hear from a friend even if it was to chastise him for being awake. He closed the message and sat down his phone. The next time it went off he fumbled to grab it. It hit the ground with a thud and he winced hoping the screen hadn't cracked.

Picking the phone up again he realized he had activated the camera. He went to close it, when he saw it. A faint light in the corner of the screen where there shouldn't be a light. That was odd. He left the camera open as he examined the phone and made sure that it wasn't cracked after all. Lowering the phone to look at it, the light disappeared. Relieved he answered Martha's message and then put the phone away. He quickly forgot about the strange light, deciding that it was just a reflection. Off of what he didn't know.

It wasn't until early morning, as he slept with his head on the desk, that the light began to bug him. In his dreams the light was an alien and it moved to attack him. He tried to defend himself but how do you stop a being made of light. Waking up with a start, he looked around the hub and saw nothing. The light was still bugging him though. Picking up his phone once more he switched it to the camera.

"I'm being a bloody idiot," he told himself as he looked at the screen again. The light was still there though, this time it was larger, taking up part of the left hand side of his screen. Turning the camera towards it, he saw a door. The door was an ordinary wooden door, with a brass door handle. The light came from around the edges as though someone had a bright lamp sitting right behind it. There was nothing strange about the door, except for the fact that where the door was there was a plain wall.

Standing up he moved behind the computer and ran his hand along the wall, feeling nothing. He examined the wall, knocking on it and hearing the deep thud that meant the dirt was still behind it. He didn't hear any hollow noises or any echos that indicated that there was space behind the wall. He went back to his chair and picked the phone back up. The door was still there. Taking a picture he saved it and then messaged Martha one more time.

*Do you still have the Doctor's number*

-DW-

The thing about a door is that it always leads to somewhere. In the case of the door he couldn't see, that place was unknown. There should have been nothing on the other side of that wall but dirt. Yet the bright light coming through proved that wasn't the case. Jack left his phone propped up, showing the door on the screen, before heading to the wall again. Pressing his ear to where the door was, he could hear faint voices on the other side. A shiver ran up his spine. He couldn't understand any of the words but he could clearly hear them. He moved back and he couldn't hear them anymore. Scratching his head he leaned against the desk.

He looked at his watch. Over a half an hour had passed since he had messaged Martha and there was still no sign that he was coming. Martha had messaged Jack back to let him know that the Doctor was on his way, but for the Doctor time was irrelevant. He had been hopeful though and made the Doctor a cup of tea and found some biscuits to go with it. yet as time passed the tea grew cold and their was no familiar sound of the TARDIS coming into the hub. He was tempted to message Martha back and ask if she was sure he was coming, but that wouldn't accomplish anything. Neither would just staring at the door. Jack couldn't help but wonder though how long the door had been their, hidden to them. Were the people on the other side aware of the door? If so how many private conversations had they listened into? The more he thought about the door, the more questions he had. On the top of the list, right under where did the door go, he had the question of was this the only door? Were there other doors and if so did they all lead to the same place or did they lead to other places as well.

Curious, Jack took out his black marker and drew an x on the wall where the door was. He kept his phone out as he began to walk the hub looking to see if there was any other doors. He began in the morgue and worked his way up to his office. He wasn't surprised when he didn't find another. In his office, he grabbed the camera they were suppose to use at the crime scenes and headed back to the wall. He took a picture of the wall, using the polaroid camera. The picture printed and he waited eagerly for it to develop.

There was no door on the picture.

Confused he got his laptop and faced the camera on it at the wall. The door showed clearly on his laptop as well. He didn't understand how it didn't show on the camera. He was usually the first who would argue with evidence but in this case he was stumped. Relief filled him though when he heard the sound of the TARDIS materializing and felt the air from her engines. The blue box materialized near the rift computer and a moment later the door opened.

Jack's jaw dropped slightly as he stared at the man who walked out. The last time he had seen the Doctor he had looked almost youthful as he dropped them off in Cardiff. Now, his features were almost hardened and his eyes once again weary from all he had seen. No companion followed him out and Jack wondered if he was traveling alone. He knew Donna had suffered some sort of amnesia and was at home, but he thought for sure that Rose would be with him.

"Your teas gone cold," Jack said. Not sure how else to greet the Time Lord. The Doctor's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is that all I have been summoned here for is tea?" the Doctor growled slightly. "Martha made it sound urgent and yet all you want to do is share a cuppa. Though I suppose in some cases that would be urgent, but I was busy." The Doctor pulled out his sonic and pressed it to the side of the cup. In seconds, steam rose from the cup and he put the sonic away before lifting the cup and taking a sip. His face scrunched in displeasure of the taste and he set it back down.

"I didn't call you just for a cuppa. Though it wouldn't hurt you to drop in sometimes and let the rest of us know you are still alive." Jack snipped back. "I have been wondering what happened to you ever since Donna reappeared with out her memories."

"How is she?" the Doctor asked eagerly as his eyes turned from the glare to sorrow over his lost friend.

"She is doing well. Still as stubborn as ever from what her grandfather tells me," Jack responded and the Doctor smiled for a moment.

"So why have you summoned me here?"

"Well you see Doctor, I have found a door and I need your help in opening the door." Jack smiled.

"A door?" The Doctor wondered, his voice full of sarcasm. "Did you lose your key?"

"I didn't even know the door existed until about two hours ago. If you could just open the door for me I will let you get on your way." Jack gestured to the wall and the Doctor looked at it for a moment. He then turned to look at Jack. Jack almost felt sorry for the Doctor when he saw the man's confusion. The Doctor was willing to share the joke, if only he knew what it was. Jack handed him the cell phone and on the phone was the door.

Lowering the phone, the Doctor saw the x on the wall. He raised the phone again to see the door. Still thinking that Jack was tricking him, he reached into his pocket and pulled out Martha's phone. Turning it to the camera he he held it up and saw the door once more. Now that was interesting. Forgiving Jack for calling him, he headed eagerly over to the wall.

"I need a new cuppa," The Doctor told Jack as he pulled out his sonic. Curious he began to scan.

-DW-

A small building sat on the edge of town. To the unobservant eye it was a relic from the 19th century, when in fact the building had been created to look like it was from that era. The school teacher, Jacques Harkness, had always felt like he was born out of place. The 51st century was a time of exploration and he longed to travel through time to places long forgotten. Since he had missed out on his chance to relive them, when the time agency had turned him down, he instead brought the past to himself.

It wasn't enough though. Even as he sat in the one room building working, he felt the itch to run. Sighing he looked out over the students. The community was small enough that all ages of children were taught in this school. In fact his own three sons were quietly taking their test. His daughter though had just started school this year and she was coloring contently with another student her age, as the others scrambled to get their test done in time. He smiled, it was his wife and children who kept him grounded and he couldn't leave them. He looked at the time as the wind began to howl outside.

*Great just what we needed,* he thought to himself. A rainstorm was the last thing he wanted. The day had promised to be sunny as he walked to work this morning and if the rain was moving in, he was going to be soaked by the time he made it home. Standing he went and opened the shades to see how far off the storm was. The sun shone brightly in the sky and the trees stood tall, not bending in the wind. In fact their was no sign of a storm. The howling of the wind ended with a loud thrum and his blood ran cold. He knew that sound, only one thing in the entire universe made that sound.

"Children quickly, out the back door," He called out to them as he rushed to the front. The children were confused as they gathered their belongings to leave. He opened the front door a crack and peered out, praying he was wrong. He swore to himself though when he saw it. The shed that sat where no shed had been before. The Time Lord was here.

-DW-

"Where do you think the door goes?" Jack asked curiously as the Doctor continued to scan the wall. He had made no progress yet in even confirming that there was a door. As far as the sonic was concerned this was just another wall and the door that was on the phone didn't exist. Yet he didn't think Jack was tricking him. He had seen a similar door in the past, he couldn't remember where though. His mind was so thick with information and he needed a second one. He ran his hand angrily through his hair.

"I don't know, the door doesn't exist." He informed Jack. He leaned back on the desk and picked up the new cup of tea taking a long drink. The tea did little to clear his head but he felt better after.

"Why don't we knock?" Martha asked as she observed them. She had shown up shortly after the Time Lord when she realized that he was on his way. She wasn't going to let him stop on Earth without getting the opportunity to see him, even for a minute.

"Knock?" The Doctor almost laughed at the idea.

"Yes knock," Martha responded.

"It couldn't hurt," Jack commented as he walked over to the wall. He placed his hand near the x and knocked three times. He raised his hand to knock a fourth time but the Doctor caught his wrist before he could. Fear filled the Doctors eyes and he shook his head slowly at Jack. The fear quickly faded and it went to the dark eyes he had before. Jack raised his hand and knocked three times again.

Nothing happened though. The wall remained a wall and the door remained closed. Whether or not anyone on the other side could hear them was unclear. Were the people on the other side aware of the door and just waiting for them to make contact. Or did they too walk past a blank wall everyday as they went about their lives, unaware a door was there. It was an interesting question and one Jack wanted answers to. The secrets of Torchwood were kept a secret for a reason.

"What has happened to you Doctor," Jack asked in concern.

"I wonder," The Doctor said to himself as he pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He ran into the TARDIS and Jack worried for a moment that he was going to leave. The engines didn't start up though and when Jack leaned over to see inside, he could see the Doctor working away at the monitor. Jack leaned against the wall, letting his head thump against it. He jumped and scrambled back when the sound of knocking came from the other side of the wall. Someone had heard them.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of the cloister bell woke the Master up from his nap. Marta was asleep cuddled beside him, and she woke confused at where they were. The morning sun was now overhead making the white beach shine. The smell of a fire burning in the distance along with the bell signaled trouble. It meant that he wasn't the only Time Lord on this planet, not anymore at least. Standing quickly, he brushed the sand off of his suit. Rather then running to the TARDIS though, he ran away from it, towards the smoke that was rising in the distance.

By the time he reached the small village, the whole town was ablaze. The smoke darkened the sky and the red flames stood out from the darkness as they engulfed the buildings. All around him people ran screaming for their lives, calling for their lost loved ones. The ones who were still alive at least and in the middle of it all stood him. The floppy hair and young green eyed face, gave the Doctor an innocent look, but looks were deceiving. Next to him stood his companion Rose.

Little was known about Rose Tyler before she appeared in an abandoned building one day. She was crying about the Doctor and it was assumed that he had hurt her. She was in actuality looking for him, yelling that he had left her. She was admitted to a mental ward on Earth in the 21st century. They had little knowledge of aliens at that time and it was believed the poor girl had gone insane. The Master had been called into try to help her. For a short time she had traveled with him and had seemed to be happy. The moment they met up with the Doctor for the first time she had gone to him.

"Wakey wakey," The Doctor called out with a smile.

"You didn't have to hurt these people. What did they ever do to you?" The Master asked as he walked closer. He wasn't afraid of the Doctor of all the people in the universe he knew that he could stop his once friend. The Time Lord council had tried but the Doctor was too cunning for them and had escaped.

"They were in my way." The smile faded and the eyes of the Destroyer of Worlds stared out at him.

-DW-

Emma Harkness coughed as she stumbled around in the smoke. She wanted her father or her brothers at the least. She had been separated from them though as she ran from the school house. She was trying to go home, but the smoke made the once familiar village confusing. Tripping over a log, she fell hitting the ground hard and skinning her knee. Tears of pain filled her eyes and she sobbed as she pulled herself back to her feet and began limping once more.

She was almost five years old, she wasn't going to cry. She was old enough to go school now and she was a big girl. Tears rolled down her sooty cheeks though and she brushed them away with the back of her hand.

"Daddy," She called out, and received no answer in reply. Behind her she could once hear other's screaming calling out names. Though it had meant there were other's nearby, their screams had gone silent. Stumbling again she managed not to fall as she reached an old building. The building had been there for as long as she could remember and her daddy said the building was old even when her grandpa had been a child. She wasn't suppose to play in it because the building was old and she could get hurt. She wasn't playing though, opening the door she ran inside. Immediately falling through the broken floor. She screamed.

-DW-

"Someone is knocking," Jack called out to the Time Lord.

"But that's impossible," The Doctor responded as he came running out, stethoscope in his hand. The TARDIS couldn't determine if anything was on the other side. She kept giving him inclusive data that meant nothing. Running to the wall he placed the bugs in his ears before pressing the scope against the wall. The voices on the other side became clearer.

"I assure you sir, I heard knocking," An unknown male voice spoke up.

"There is nothing there though, there is nothing behind that door but an old storage area. Look." Another male voice answered him. "See nothing in their, but boxes and no way in except by this door. Since you are so eager about the door though, why don't you clean the room behind it."

"It's an office of some kind," The Doctor informed them as he moved the stethoscope away from the wall.

"So there really is something on the other side," Martha said in awe as she moved closer and pressed her hand against the wall.

"The question now, is how do we open it?" Jack asked.

-DW-

"Emma," Jacques remained in the burning village looking for his daughter. He had seen his sons running towards the water with the other children, but their was no sign of his daughter. The smoke burned his eyes and lungs making it hard to continue. He coughed deep body shaking coughs, that made it hard to catch his breath again. Pulling his shirt over his mouth he held it there as he tried to figure out which way she had gone.

"Dad," His oldest son came running to his side.

"Where are your brothers Adam?" He asked in concern as he coughed again.

"They are safe with the other children, in the cove by the water. Let me help you." Adam begged.

"No, go back and protect Seth and James. I will be there soon." Jacques pointed towards the beach.

"But Dad," Adam began to protest.

"Go," He ordered, pushing his son away from the burning school house. Adam stumbled but then to Jacques relief did as he was told and headed back towards the water. He watched him for a moment to make sure he continued on his way before heading the opposite direction. In the center of the village he could hear the Time Lord laughing and other's screaming. Their screams were being cut off abruptly and Jacques tried not to think of the reason why. Making sure his mouth remained covered he began to move deeper into the village.

In the middle of the village he could see two men standing. Neither them or their female companions seem affected by the flames that were dancing around them. The taller man he recognized as the legendary Time Lord. Until this moment he thought the man was just a myth, passed down from generation to generation to scare children. He had been wrong though. He backed away slowly hoping that he hadn't been seen. If the Time Lord was here, he needed to get the children to safety and quickly. He just hoped the man standing up to him could stall the Time Lord long enough for him to accomplish it.

He still hadn't found Emma though. His heart burned at the thought of her and tears filled his eyes. The Time Lord had no mercy for women or children and if Emma had crossed his path. He tried not to stumble as he headed to the beach. His wife and him had cherished their only daughter and she was the apple of his eye. His wife should have been at their home, further out from the school house. Their was no fire coming from that direction and he prayed silently that he would find Emma safe there. First though he had to save his sons, turning he ran towards the water.

-DW-

The three of them set in the small break room of the hub, drinking tea. Both the Doctor and Jack were stumped on how to get the door open. The Doctor was leaning back, in his chair with his eyes closed. In his hand he still held his tea and Jack would have believed the man asleep if not for the fact that he was taking a drink every so often. Jack on the other hand was on his laptop scouring the Torchwood files, looking for any information on the strange door.

"What about using the TARDIS to go through the door." Martha asked. The Doctor opened one eye long enough to let her know what he thought of the idea, before closing it again. "Fine, it was just an idea." She huffed.

"Your files are useless Jack, if the door had been opened before, it would still be opened now." The Doctor opened his eyes fully and then sat up. "If you find a way to open it contact me. I have other places to be, then sitting here waiting for a door to open." He set down his tea cup and stretched.

"Have you tried unlocking the door," Martha asked and they both looked at her in amazement. "Well I mean you have scanned the door and used the sonic on. But have you simply tried to unlock it. Stop looking at me like that." She snipped as they continued to stare at her.

"Of course we have," Jack stated firmly as he looked towards the Doctor and the Doctor nodded his agreement. The Doctor continued on his way out of the room and a moment later Martha heard the sound of his sonic.

"Jack, Martha get in here," The Doctor called out excitedly. The actual door still remained invisible to the naked eye. Yet on the phone they could clearly see the door had opened a bit and on the wall a sliver of light had appeared that wasn't there before. Jack walked over to the wall and pressed it just behind the light again. The beam of light grew bigger and Martha watched as the door opened wider.

"Are you sure we should go through it?" Martha wondered, her voice shaking slightly from the excitement of the possibilities on the other side. "I mean if we go through are we going to be able to come back or will we be stuck there. You heard the man earlier, the door on his side leads to a storage room."

"I will go then. I have nothing to lose on this side and Gwen can take over Torchwood if I don't return," Jack informed them. Jack took a deep breath and went to step forward but the Doctor placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He turned to look at the Doctor as the Doctor shook his head no slowly.

"We will take the TARDIS. Now that the door is open I can scan to see where it comes out at." The Doctor informed them. Jack thought of disobeying the Doctor and continuing through the door anyway. The look in the Doctor's eyes though made him wonder.

"If the TARDIS doesn't work, I am going through anyway," Jack told him stubbornly as he headed towards the TARDIS.

"If the TARDIS doesn't work, I am sealing the door off again before you can," The Doctor informed him as he went on to the TARDIS after Jack. Martha considered not going at all as they bickered. In the end curiosity won and she joined them in the control room.

Someone had once reminded him that once a door had been opened, either side could walk through it. In this case he didn't know what was on the other side and had to be careful not to let the other side seep through. If it was just another part of the world it would be hard to explain but fine. Another part of the universe or another universe all together could be disastrous. He had a strong feeling that it was the latter that they were dealing with. He set the TARDIS to continuously scan the door and alert them if anything tried to come through.

"I could have been through the door and back all ready," Jack complained as he handed a tool to the Doctor's out stretched hand. The Doctor had disappeared underneath the TARDIS console as soon as they were all on board and had been under there for a while now. Jack had tried to leave but found the doors to the TARDIS sealed and that he was stuck. The Doctor was unapologetic as he continued to work.

"Almost done Jack. I just have to make sure that this won't kill her." The Doctor explained, his voice slightly muffled by the console above him.

"Could that really happen?" Martha asked in concern.

"It has before. I gave up ten years of my life in this body to save her. Best ten years I could have spent." The Doctor answered as he slid out from underneath. The TARDIS hummed at him as he patted her console affectionately. He walked around the TARDIS pressing buttons and flicking levers without his normal gusto as he continued to speak. "Now we don't know what we are going to find on the other side of that door. So rule one is don't wander off." He held up his hand and tried to look stern as he pointed to each of them in turn. He groaned as Jack went rigid, placing his feet together and saluted him.

"Sir yes sir," Jack chanted. The Doctor groaned again. Martha on the other hand giggled as she copied Jack's movements.

"Ready for orders sir," She spoke up.

"Oh this is why I travel alone," He mumbled to himself as he threw the hand break. The TARDIS rocked violently and groaned as she disappeared. He ran around the console trying to stabilize her as she made the voyage. He wasn't looking where he was going and almost ran into Jack who was trying to lend him a hand. He reached around Jack's arms and hit a button before moving on. The TARDIS had almost landed when suddenly she took off again. They were all thrown roughly to the floor. Stars flashed in Jack's eyes as his head connected with the railing.

"Where are we going?" Martha asked as she crawled back to her feet. Jack followed slower and was surprised to see the Doctor rising last. The Doctor stumbled slightly. He grabbed the console then flicked a lever. He frowned and flicked it again.

"I can't see the vortex," He informed them. "Jack help me to steady her until we can force her to land." Jack nodded, seeing stars again. He followed the frantic movements of the Doctor, trying to stabilize the TARDIS. She had a mind of her own though, like normal, she threw them around and each time she threw them down it took longer for the Doctor to get back to his feet. The sound of her engines thrumming as she finally landed never sounded more beautiful to Jack. She landed with a thud throwing them to the ground one last time.

"Should we got out?" Martha asked as she crawled over to check on the Doctor. He brushed her off and pulled himself to his feet before helping her up. "She might have brought us here for a reason."

"I'm not so sure," He eyed the door suspiciously. He was normally the first to run towards the door to explore a new planet, now he was being cautious. Anything could be out there, he pulled on his long coat as he made his way to the door and pulled it open. Outside the door, what use to be building smoldered in the darkening sky.

"What happened?" Jack asked as they stepped out. He closed his eyes as he became dizzy and for a moment he was back on the Boeshane peninsula, watching his village be destroyed. Bodies were scattered and Martha went around checking them for a pulse as the Doctor walked slowly looking at the damage.

"Daddy," a little girl cried as she stumbled down what use to be a dirt road. She was limping heavily and her light yellow dress was torn and dirty. Her bright blue eyes though were set on Jack. She held up her hands to him as she neared him. "Daddy." He looked towards the Doctor as he picked the little girl up in his arms.

"We will find your daddy." He promised her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry I was bad and wandered off." She sobbed. Jack opened and closed his mouth several times as the child went limp in his arms. The child had fainted but what really surprised him was that she wasn't speaking English but a language he hadn't heard since he was a child. He still understood every word.

"Doctor, I can't understand what she is saying," Martha spoke up confused. She made her way over to where Jack was holding the child, concerned by the way the little girl had passed out. The Doctor ran past them into the TARDIS.

"Take her to the medi-bay, Jack," he called out as he passed. Jack looked at Martha, who shrugged and they followed him inside.

-Earlier-

Emma awoke in the basement alone and cold. Her head felt funny and when she moved it hurt her leg. She cried as she tried to make her way out of the basement of the building. Her leg hurt more then she could ever remember it hurting before and she just wanted to go home. She was afraid of the fires that burned the city though and it hurt to stand on her leg. She climbed to her feet though and made it slowly up the stairs. The floor in front of the door was missing but there was a window open nearby. She went to the window and placed her hands on the sill to climb out. She screamed and pulled back as something cut the palm of her hand.

Crying harder she pulled the piece of glass out of the window and then tried again to climb out. Her leg burned with pain and her hand slipped but she managed to make it out and fell to the hard ground below. She could still smell the smoke of the fire that burned the city but the flames were no longer as large. The school house was closer then her home and she knew if she made her way back there her daddy would be waiting for her. She walked the familiar path back stumbling and limping. As she entered what use to be the city, she could see her daddy standing by a strange blue box with two people she didn't know nearby. That didn't matter though, her daddy would keep her safe from them.

She cried harder as she made her way over to him. He picked her up in his arms and she snuggled close. He smelled funny but he felt safe. She was so tired and scared, but her daddy would make it right.

-Earlier-

A loud crack filled the air. The ground shook, throwing Jacques to the ground roughly. The ground continued to shake as the trees were thrown side to side, falling in the aftermath. Jacques had been told that the land once had earthquakes but it had been years since he one had ripped through the village. The last time his grandfather had been a little boy and he remembered the swaying of the village. One hadn't happened since that day though. Almost as quickly as it started, it was over and he stood shakily. He had to get to the cove and collect his sons. They would be frightened from quake.

As he approached the water though, he could see that the once protected cove was buried in the rocks that surrounded it. He ran faster, he had sent the children to the cove for protection and now that cove was gone. He screamed in his anguish as he drew nearer. Behind him the sound of the strange sound of the man arriving, filled the air once more. It sounded different though and Jacques was sure the man was leaving this time. He ran to the rocks digging at them, searching desperately for his children. He didn't want to live if his family was gone. He had to live, for he was going to seek revenge on the man who had caused the village so much pain. His fingers bled as he moved rock after rock digging for his children.

"Daddy," a little voice spoke up. He turned with tear filled as he saw his children standing nearby with the others. He rushed forward, grabbing all three of his boys and kissing them on the head. He did a quick head count of the other children and much to his anguish several of the others were missing.

"How?" He asked, thankful that his children weren't in the rocky mess.

"We were on the beach, when the shaking started," Adam informed him as he held tightly to his father. "There were others in the cove..." He trailed off his eyes wide with terror.

"It's all right now." Jacques reassured him. "Come on, we need to find your mother. The rest of you come with me, I will keep you safe." He promised as he stood, lifting the youngest of his sons up with him and holding him on his hip. Together the frightened group headed into the forest. Jacques would protect them he swore, until he found their families. He wasn't going to lose another of the children that he had taught and watched grow. His heart cried out for his beloved Emma, but he pushed on.

He didn't need to arrive to his house, to know that the house was gone. He had been sure of it, ever since the Time Lords arrived in his village. He wasn't sure if his wife was alive or not. He prayed silently to the Gods that she was and if not she was with their daughter until he could join her. He moved the children away from the homes though. There was a safe spot further away from the village that everyone would head to if the village was ever in danger. He looked up at the darkening sky above him. It was still a few hours walk to the safe spot and with the children would take longer. At night though it would be dangerous to navigate the trees. The children cried out when the ground shook once more.

"It's all right," He tried to reassure them, as the ground stopped moving. "We will rest here for a while and then we need to head deeper into the woods. The others will be waiting for us and we don't want to keep them waiting."


	3. Chapter 3

Jack froze as he entered the TARDIS. The Doctor was standing at the bottom of the ramp staring up at the console. Near the console stood another man. He looked so familiar to Jack but at the same time there was enough differences that Jack had to question if it was really him. The man that Jack had known as the Master, was wearing a blue pinstriped suit similar to the Doctors. His short brown hair was slightly messy. Beside him stood Martha. Only she wasn't Martha. She was taller with a slightly chubby build. Her black hair was done up in braids.

"I'll ask you again, who are you," the Master demanded of the group who had just entered.

"Being that it is my TARDIS I think I should be the one asking questions. Like how did you get on board," The Doctor questioned as he moved forward.

"The door was left open," the Master lied.

"No, it wasn't," the Doctor responded immediately. Though the man tried to block him, the Doctor could still feel the man on the edge of his mind, just as he use to feel the Time Lords. This man felt familiar but different at the same. It was impossible all Time Lords were dead but here this man was.

"The child is injured, can we please take her to the medi-bay to treat her," Martha asked stepping forward. The Master eyed her for a moment seeing the same differences in her that Jack saw with his.

"Marta go with her please," the Master said nodding his consent. Jack carefully handed the little girl over to Martha and watched them disappear into the medi-bay. He stayed by the Doctor's side though, unwilling to leave him. He stepped forward to show his support of the man in the brown pinstripes standing in front of him.

"You look like he use to. Before he regenerated," the Master said finally.

"Who," the Doctor questioned as the two men circled each other.

"The Doctor," the Master spat.

"I am the Doctor." The Doctor replied firmly.

"That is a dangerous man to be," the Master responded with a low hiss. The Doctor felt the man on the edge of his mind pushing for answers. He blocked him with ease though. Even as he heard the man whispering inside his mind.

*Let me in,* the Master insisted, his voice no more then a whisper in the Doctor's mind.

*Never Master,* The Doctor responded. He built his wall higher, blocking the man. To his surprise the man didn't try to force his way in. This man was the Master, the Doctor was sure of it. Yet at the same time he wasn't, he was almost... nice. The Master the Doctor knew would have never let the child go to the medi-bay. He wouldn't care whether or not that child suffered.

"I could say the same about you Master," The Doctor answered, his voice sure of who he was talking too. Jack pulled his gun upon hearing the name and the Doctor sighed loudly, placing his hand upon the gun and pushing it to point at the floor. "He isn't the same one who was aboard the valiant."

"How can you know that?" The Master questioned. "You regenerated from the bullet and then escaped."

"And you died." The Doctor answered as he stepped forward once more. They eyed each other suspiciously. The Doctor held out his hands asking permission with gesture. The Master nodded and the Doctor carefully placed his hands upon his temples. He instantly felt the minds of the other Time Lords, pulling back quickly he fell to his knees. "How I killed them all," He stuttered.

"And I saved them," The Master responded. The Doctor didn't say anything as his stomach churned as he was sick. How had there been a way and he missed it. It couldn't be possible, the only way to save them was to destroy them, yet he clearly felt the other minds. He screamed and felt his stomach flip once again.

-DW-

Marta stood aside watching as Martha tenderly laid the little girl down on the bed in the medi-bay. Blood was running down the little girl's hand and her leg was cut up as well. Comparing the child's legs, Martha could see that the left one was slightly swollen with a bruise forming. She needed to x-ray the little girl's leg to be sure, but she wasn't going to be surprised if she found the leg was fractured. The main problem now was she didn't know what medication she could give the child. Being that they were from another universe, the medication's could be different and she could inadvertently kill the child she was trying to help.

"Are you a veterinarian as well?" Marta asked the woman who looked similar to her. She agreed that they looked slightly alike but more like sisters then anything else. Martha's nose was more bulbous then hers and she didn't have quite as large lips.

"No, I am a doctor," Martha answered. She set the TARDIS equipment to scan the little girl's leg as she turned to look at Marta. Unknowingly she agreed with Marta's assessment. She didn't think Marta looked exactly like her either. She was sure Marta's nose was bigger then hers and surely Marta's lips were fuller.

"Daddy," the little girl moaned, opening her eyes. She looked around afraid at the inside of the room. The room was bright and there was a lot of things she didn't recognize. She tried to move as Martha came over to her.

"Easy now, I need you to stay still so I can take pictures of your leg." Martha cooed kindly. The little girl didn't understand her though and she tried to get away from Martha. "Go get Jack. Hopefully he can understand her." Martha said. Marta nodded and hurried out of the medi-bay and back to the control room. In the control room she stopped though. The men who had arrived after them were standing closer to the Master. One of the men was down on his knees getting sick, while the other tried to comfort him. The Master was staring down at the two of them with pity in his eyes.

"Martha is asking that Jack joins us in the medi-bay," Marta informed them, not sure which one was Jack.

"I'll be right there," The man with blue eyes, who was comforting the one being sick, responded. Marta smiled and turned to head back to the medi-bay.

-DW-

The Doctor kept replaying the Master's words over and over in his head. He didn't believe it, there had been nothing he could do to save his own people. He had tried. Rassilon had he tried. Everything had failed in the end. The only way to stop his people from destroying the universe was to trap them in the moment. Yet here he was in a parallel universe and he could feel other Time Lords at the edge of his mind.

"It's not possible," He repeated again. He stood, knocking Jack's hand off of his back so that he could look the Master in the eyes. "Rassilon wouldn't listen to reason. He planned on destroying the entire universe and having the Time Lords rise to just thoughts. I had to use the moment to save the rest of the universe and destroy my people."

"Rassilan may not have wanted to listen but Omega was willing to listen. He stopped Rassilan from destroying the rest of the universe and we used the moment to lock the Dalkes away forever." The Master stated.

"If this is a parallel universe Doc," Jack reminded him softly. He still didn't know for sure this was a parallel universe, but he had seen and heard enough to believe it was. "There are things that are going to be different."

"I know that Jack," The Doctor hissed.

"Then remember it. You couldn't save your people in the other universe, just like I couldn't save my brother. Just because their is a parallel universe where someone listened to reason, doesn't make your actions wrong." Jack scolded him softly and the Master nodded his agreement.

"Go tend to the child," The Doctor told Jack as he straightened up. He wanted to talk to this Master and find out what happened to the village. He also wanted to find out as much as possible about the Doctor in this universe and whether or not their had been any prophecies regarding his death. Because maybe, just maybe, this Master could save his life.

-DW-

Jack entered the medi-bay to find the little girl crying and trying to get away from Martha. Her leg was slightly bruised and Jack winced in sympathy as her approached the bed. Upon seeing him the little girl reached out to him with wide frightened eyes.

"Daddy, help me," She cried out. Jack stopped for a moment. The little girl thought he was her father. He was going to have to find her real father and he considered for a moment whether or not he should lie to her.

"Calm down little on," He cooed in the language she was speaking. "Martha needs to look at your leg. After we will go and find your daddy, I promise."

"Daddy, stop playing," She whined as she continued to reach out to him.

"I am sorry. I look like your daddy but my name is Jack. What's your name?" He asked sitting down next to her on the bed. She grabbed onto him as she eyes Martha wearily.

"Emma Harkness," She answered and Jack closed his eyes for a moment. He had always loved the name Emma, had even named his oldest daughter Emma. His Emma though had died before the age of two from whooping cough.

"That is a pretty name. Now I know your leg hurts Emma and Martha here is going to make it feel better. Can you be a brave little girl and let her check it for you?" Jack asked Emma. She continued to hold his shirt as she nodded. "Go ahead Martha," Jack told her in English.

"I need to x-ray her leg, so you are going to have to move." Martha informed him as she reset the scanner to x-ray the little girl's leg.

"The x-ray won't hurt me and it will keep her calmer if I stay." Jack answered back. He moved slightly so he wasn't blocking the child's leg and then settled back to wait while Martha ran the scans. Martha shook her head but then stepped out of the room to start the scans. She could continue to argue Jack, but the longer she argued him, the longer the child remained in pain. Jack was right and the x-ray wouldn't hurt him, so she could let it go just this once.

-DW-

Jacques hurried as quickly as he dared with the children through the darkening forest. Behind him fires still smoldered in the town that once had been his home. Before him was hope. Hope that the children would be reunited with their families and hope that his wife and lost little girl were safe with them. He knew they had all lost someone today, whether it be a friend or family member, but as a community they could pull through this tragedy. He still had no idea why the Doctor had chosen to terrorize them and perhaps he would never know. Yet while there was still hope he could push on, and rebuild his life. His hopes were dashed moments later though, when an explosion shook the earth as they ran, throwing them all to the ground.

"No, no, no, no, no," He screamed as he scrambled to his feet. In the distance he could see a plume of smoke rising as flames licked the darkening sky. The explosion had come from the direction of the safe houses they were heading to. How many more people had to die before the Time Lord was satisfied. Grabbing his youngest son's hand he turned and ran.

"Come children, quickly," He called to the children. He took no heed of the dark forest or the direction they were going. Running as fast as he could, he stumbled over branches as he pushed the children in front of him to run faster in to the thickening forest. One of the youngest caught his foot and fell hard with a sickening crack. Jacques barely slowed as he scooped the child up in his arms and continued to run. The child held tightly to him with one arm as he sobbed in terror, yet still they ran.

"I can't run anymore papa," James cried out as he fell to his knees, finally forcing Jacques to stop. He knelt down in front of James and pulled him to his feet.

"Just a little further now James and then we can rest," Jacques promised. He looked around at the rest of the children who were collapsed against trees, or sitting on the ground, panting heavily and grateful for a moments rest. As he looked at them he thought recognized where they were. In the quiet he could hear the rushing of water not to far away. He use to come here to hunt with his father and there was a cave near the river that they would sleep in. He hoped they were near it and only if he could get the children to the river could he be sure of where he was.

"Just a little further everyone. There is a cave a short way from here and we can rest and be safe there for the night. I know you are tired but we have to keep moving." He went around helping the children back to their feet before the group once more pushed on. Their was no running this time as they concentrated on just putting one foot in front of the other. The only noise from them besides the sound of their feet causing branches to snap and rustle was the child in his arms crying in pain. Jacques promised himself silently that he would help the boy once he was sure everyone was safe, for now though they had to continue to press on.

-DW-

The Doctor eyed the Master as Jack left the room. He felt as though he knew this man, but this wasn't the same man who he had grown up with on Gallifrey. This was a Master who had never heard the drums or let them drive him to insanity. So if the Master was nice in this universe did that mean he was the evil one?

"Tea?" He asked the Master as he headed around the console and deeper into the TARDIS.

"Please," The Master smiled gratefully as he followed the Doctor. He too was suspicious of the man. He had grown up with the Doctor practically as brothers, but that man had changed while they were still at the academy together. The Master never knew what caused the Doctor to give into madness but he had always hoped to help him. He watched as the Doctor heated up a kettle of water and then placed two cups on the table adding the tea and pouring water over them. They sat at the table silently drinking their tea and trying to gather their thoughts.

"How did you get here?" The Master asked finally. The Doctor decided to answer him, it was as good of place to start as any and hopefully the Master would be able to help him find a way back.

"My companion Jack found a strange door in Torchwood and when we opened it, it led us to this universe. The TARDIS acted on her own as she used the time vortex in this universe to bring us to the village." The Doctor answered.

"Torchwood?" The Master asked curious. The Doctor sighed. If the Master had never heard of Torchwood then it was going to be harder to find out where they had come through the door in order to get home. He was going to have to work on the TARDIS and hopefully connect her properly to the Time Vortex so that he could see where they had come from.

"Never mind. Why are you here in this village?" The Doctor wondered taking a sip of his tea.

"I was hiding from the Doctor, but he found me. He killed the village with his companion Rose Tyler just to prove a point." The Master hissed. What that point was though, he wasn't sure. The Doctor spit his coffee out all over the table.

"Did you say Rose Tyler," He questioned. Before his question could be answered though, the TARDIS shook violently and he fell to the ground, shattering the tea cup. Curious of what could have caused the TARDIS to shake like that he jumped up and ran out of the kitchen with the Master close behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

They stood outside the TARDIS door watching the flames flicker in the distance, engulfing the trees as the fire once more headed towards the all ready decimated village. The smoke from the fires darkened the sky and made the air hard to breathe. Yet the two Time Lord's stood in silence as they mourned the lives had been lost throughout the long day. Neither one of them had any doubt in their mind that another group of villagers had just lost their lives. The Doctor felt as though he was once again standing aboard the Valiant watching as the Master destroyed Japan just for the chance that he would kill Martha.

"What happened to the Doctor?" He wondered. He couldn't wonder what decision had affected the man that caused their lives to go into two different paths. He also was afraid of himself and what havoc he could cause if he continued to travel alone. Was the madness that he had seen in the Master and now the parallel Doctor really that close to the surface? Could the right circumstances cause him to snap and kill villagers unnecessarily? He told himself no that he wasn't like that but he couldn't help but wonder.

"When we were children, we were taken to the Untempered Schism for initiation. The Untempered Schism is a gap in reality in which you can see the whole vortex," The Master explained.

"We had the same initiation. Some were inspired, some ran away, while others went mad. I was one that ran away," The Doctor told him, looking at him out of the corner of his eye. The Master nodded his agreement. He had ran as fast and as far as he could. "He was one of the ones who went mad?"

"No, he was inspired. He saw in the vortex all of the worlds out there and rather than want to stand guard and watch like the other Time Lords, he wanted to rule them. He stole a TARDIS as soon as he graduated the academy and set off to accomplish just that. I was sent out to stop him," The Master informed him. "I almost had him a few times to but he always manages to stay one step ahead. These people on this planet died because of me. I have to make it right."

"I can help you," The Doctor offered as he turned his eyes back towards the fire.

"Your TARDIS is going to need a lot of work in order to be brought back on line. She has lost the connection to the Vortex," The Master told him. "I will get my TARDIS and she can link with her to find it while we work on the internal repairs."

The Master headed towards his TARDIS and the Doctor watched him go. He wasn't sure still if he trusted that man. The man who looked but didn't act like the friend that had caused him so much trouble and heartache over the years. He looked up at the darkened sky, wanting to see the stars but unable to through the smoke. Somewhere out there were other Time Lords. They weren't the ones that he had grown up with nor were they the ones that he had stopped in his own universe. Still to finally be among other Time Lords again and no longer the last of his people made him happier then he had been in a long time. Did he really want to return to the universe where he was alone again?

-DW-

Martha review the scans with Marta. Even though she was happy for the second upon it was unnecessary. The fracture in the little girl's leg was clear on the scans. It was no wonder she was in pain. The problem was that Martha didn't know what medication she could give her in order to help her. She took a deep breath before returning to the room. She smiled as she walked into see that Jack was still holding Emma. She was laying against him sobbing softly.

"She is in a lot of pain Martha, can't you help her?" Jack questioned when Martha walked into the room. Even though Emma wasn't his daughter, he thought that she looked like his mother. She had the same hair color, same colored eyes and the same shape of her nose. He couldn't help but wonder if his Emma would have looked like her, had she lived.

"She has a fracture in her leg that is going to require a cast. I am working as quickly as I can to help her Jack but I am still unsure of medication I can give her," Martha explained.

"How was she walking on her leg if it is fractured?" Jack questioned slightly confused.

"It isn't completely uncommon depending on the fracture. Now just give me a few more minutes. I am going to go and talk to the Master and see if he knows what medicine I can give her to relieve her pain," Martha informed him. Jack looked down at the little girl. She didn't understand their words but she was watching Jack closely.

"You're going to be all right. Martha is going to get medicine for you to make your leg feel better," Jack reassured her softly in her language. She smiled at him despite her tears.

"I knew it was you daddy," She said as she cuddled closer to him. Jack didn't have the heart to tell her no again. Instead he sat there quietly as he hoped that Martha returned quickly. Much to his relief she was back within ten minutes. In her hand she had a small bottle and a syringe.

"I am going to give her an injection of a sedative for now. I have a pain killer in my pocket that I will give her once she is asleep. From what we discussed the medicine is similar but we will have to run it past him to be sure if we decide she needs something else," Martha filled the syringe and came over to Emma.

"No shot," Emma cried holding on tighter to Jack.

"It will make you feel better sweetie," Jack cooed. "Can you be a brave little girl for me?" She nodded. Go ahead Martha," He said switching back to English. Martha swabbed a place on Emma's arm. The little girl cried harder as she was given the injection but soon after she drifted off to sleep. Once out Martha gave her the injection of the pain killer.

"Jack I am going to need your help. Marta can you also assist in applying the cast?" Martha asked. She positioned them where need to get the leg probably set and bandaged. "Let's get started."

-DW-

The night was longer than any others that Jacques could remember as he stayed huddled in the caves with the children who were still alive. None of them were able to sleep despite their exhaustion as explosions continued to shake their home. Jacques held his sons and hoped silently that the next one would be the last. That the Time Lord wouldn't find them hidden in the caves. He could only take solace in the fact that if they were found he would soon be with his wife and his Emma. He bit back the tears. There would be a time to cry over everyone that had been lost this horrible day but now wasn't it.

"Everyone gather around," He called out softly. The children moved closer to him. Their faces were begging him for answers that he didn't have. He didn't know why the Time Lord had come to their home nor why he had destroyed their village. "I am going to tell you a story."

"I am to old for stories," One of the older children replied.

"Then please be quiet and listen for the ones who still want to hear it," Jacques answered unphased. Though the child had said he didn't want to listen he remained close to the group. Jacques looked over at them all before he began to speak. It was an old story that he had heard from his grandfather. The story came from a time when man still believed the gods lived up on the mountain tops. He remembered his grandfather pointing to the highest point on the peninsula and saying.

"Just there Jacques, can you see them?" Of course he couldn't, but he had tried. The stories had given him hope though and that is what the children needed right now. Pulling his sons in closer he began to speak.

"Once, a long time ago there lived a man. He was just an ordinary man like you or me, but the gods had looked on him favorably for he was a good man. He didn't know this though for he thought his life was meaningless. He lived in a small one room shack on the outskirts of a poor village. He had no wife and no sons to carry on his name. Everyday was also the same for him. Waking up at dawn he would head to the village to try to sell seeds or cloth or anything that would allow him a meal that night. Some days he would earn a piece of silver and others he would head home empty handed. He thought his life would never change. That was until he met her..."

-DW-

The night was also long for the people aboard the TARDIS. The Master hooked his TARDIS up to the Doctor's to find the vortex. It was going to take a lot more work then they expected though for her to be able to ride the vortex successfully. The energy in this universe was still slowly poisoning her and while the repairs he had made before they left stopped her from dying right away, it would still only be a matter of time unless they fixed it. The Master thankfully understood his connection to the TARDIS without the Doctor having to explain it. They could have used an extra hand but now was not the time to go and get the other Time Lords. Nor could they pull Jack from the medi-bay.

Emma's leg had been set and was in a small white cast that was being held up from the bed. They had her covered with a soft blue blanket that they taken from another room in the TARDIS. Martha and Marta had cleaned her up and changed her into a night dress that the TARDIS had provided for the child. She was sleeping still and an oxygen mask had been placed over her mouth and nose to assist in her breathing. Despite all their precautions and making sure the medication was correct, Emma had still responded poorly to being sedated.

Jack felt as helpless as he had with his own Emma as he watched her. From what he could tell she was a fighter and he had hope that she was going to be all right. Enough people had died today and he wasn't going to let Emma be one of them. They were going to save the little girl and then find her family. If they couldn't find her family, Jack was going to take her in and raise her. He reached out and took the little hand into his.

"She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen," Jack continued a story that he had heard as a child on the Boshane Peninsula. He didn't believe the story but his father had swore it was true.

"Just because you can't prove the story Jack, doesn't make it any less real," his father had told him. Jack though had been determined to climb the mountain one day and find the Gods. He wanted to yell at them for taking his father and his brother. Yet by the time he was old enough he could, he had long ago stopped believing they were up there watching down on him.

"The man knew that he had to make the woman his wife but what did he have to offer her. A one room shack was no place to raise a family. Also how could he keep them fed when he could barely feed himself. So instead of telling her how he felt he watched her from afar. This displeased the Gods though as they wanted the man to be happy as he was a good man..."

-DW-

"One day as the man pined after the woman, he cursed the Gods. 'If you had only made me richer so that I may provide for her, she would be my wife,' he swore at them. The Gods were confused. For the man had watched the woman day after day never speaking to her. He didn't know that the Gods also looked favorably upon the woman and she to lived in a little one room shack. She saw the man watching her day after day but what could she offer him as a wife. She had no dowery to give him and the only clothes she owned were upon her back..."

Jack stopped talking as he realized that someone was standing in the doorway of the medi-bay. Turning his head he saw the Doctor leaning against the door frame watching Jack. It was only then that Jack realized how tired he was. He looked as though he could fall over right there and sleep. Yet as Jack watched, the Doctor pulled himself upright again and moved to the bed.

"She was overdosed," The Doctor said as he approached. "I was speaking to the Master about the medications and the ones in this universe are different after all. Martha was all ready close to that conclusion when I spoke with her in the lab. She should be in shortly with an antidote to help Emma."

"Will she be all right?" Jack questioned. He reached up and brushed a piece of hair off of the little girl's face. The Doctor's face was not reassuring.

"We will do all we can for her Jack. Including trying to find her family. The Master has scanned the area for survivors and there are a few scattered around and a small group up in the caves. He is going to try to get to them before the Doctor does," The Doctor explained sitting down beside Jack.

"It is strange hearing you refer to the Master as someone good. All I can think about is that year upon the valiant and how I would like to put a bullet in his head," Jack commented softly.

"It is a different universe Jack," The Doctor informed him. "He is not the same Master I grew up with. He is what would have happened if Koschei hadn't gone mad. Gallifrey still exist here but it isn't the home that I left. The Time Lords don't just watch over the universe but interact with it," The Doctor explained. That is what he found the strangest. His own people vowed never to interfere but to watch from afar. The Master had explained though that the Time Lords in this universe often stepped off of Gallifrey to interact with the other species in the universe. They were seen as leaders and guides, offering advice and aiding when they could.

"Do you want to stay?" Jack asked him seriously. The Doctor ran his hands through his hair.

"They are not my people," he answered finally.

"They could be," Jack told him. The Doctor didn't answer him though as Martha came in with a vial of medicine and a syringe. The Doctor took the opportunity to jump up and hurry out of the medi-bay as though he wasn't suppose to be in there. Martha shook her head as she watched him go.

"This isn't your bed," She called after him, but the Doctor was all ready out of the medi-bay. Martha sighed. "He is exhausted, so I told him to go to bed, not come in here and talk to you."

"He will go to bed when he is ready," Jack defended the Time Lord. Chances are though he would simply pass out on the floor of the TARDIS while working. Jack had caught him sleeping half under the TARDIS console on a few occasions and the Doctor denied he had been asleep every time. Even when Jack had photographic evidence. Martha filled the syringe with the medication in her hand. She emptied it directly into the cannula of the IV. The little girl didn't respond as her arm was moved and Martha gently laid it back on the bed.

"When Emma wakes up, she might be sick to her stomach, so make sure that you have a bucket handy," Martha informed Jack. She notated on the chart what the correct dosage of pain medication and sedatives were for a child her size. Anything she tried to give her from now on she was going to have to recalculate the dosage for. It was going to be a problem if they had an emergency but now they were aware of the problem, she could start fixing it. Not only was the medication just enough off it was hard to see but the child had a low tolerance to the medication as it wasn't widely offered on the peninsula.

"I will," Jack answered as he stood.

"Also make sure she drinks water if she is able to. I need to lay down but I want you to wake me if you need anything at all. Marta has all ready gone to bed but she should be awake soon if you need her," Martha explained.

"She is an animal doctor though," Jack informed Martha, making sure he hadn't missed anything. Martha nodded as she began to check Emma's vitals.

"Yes but she is intelligent and she has been helping the Master to care for the wounded in her travels. She is very adapt at using the TARDIS to get answers for caring for species she doesn't know. She even showed me how to quickly recalculate the medications using the TARDIS so we don't accidentally overdose Emma again," Martha told Jack obviously impressed by her counterpart. She finished checking Emma's vitals and then bid Jack goodnight. Jack grabbed the bucket and sat down once again next to the child's bed.

"Where were we in your story?" Jack asked her softly. He picked up her hand again as once again he began to speak.


	5. Chapter 5

The fires that had lit the cave brightly when they first entered it, were beginning to die down, leaving them so dark that it was impossible to see anything. The children had long since settled down into a restless sleep and Jacques alone remained awake in the dark cave. He didn't dare light another fire or do anything that would draw attention to the fact they were hiding within it. The land had gone eerily quiet as the explosions stopped. There were no sounds coming from creatures and the night was deathly still. Jacques father would have called it the calm before the storm but he hoped that it was over.

Once the Time Lord left it would be time for them to try to pick up their lives again, well what remained of them. They would need to build a camp and try to find anyone that survived the long night besides him and the children. He wasn't sure that there would be any other survivors. Regardless though they needed food and clean water if they were going to live. The question really for Jacques is did he want to. He would survive of course for his children but he hated the part of him that silently wished that they had been taken to the afterlife along with his wife and only daughter.

He felt suddenly as though he was suffocating in the dark cave. Standing up he made his way quickly but carefully out of the cave and into the dark night. It was still impossible to see any of the stars through the smoke filled night but the cool night air felt good on his face he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Hello?" A strange voice said. Jumping he turned towards the man. He didn't recognize him.

"Go away," he hissed at him.

"I mean you no harm. My name is the Master..." The Master began. Jacques stood his ground.

"Time Lord," He seethed. The children were still within the cave and Jacques would stop at nothing to protect them. Not even pausing a moment to think, he swooped down and felt for a rock. Finding one he hurled it at the the man. "Go away. You've done enough."

"I am only here to help," The Master tried to explain as he barely dodged the rock.

"You've done enough. You've destroyed our village and killed our people. My life is ruined because of you," Jacques snapped as he found another rock. He became angrier as once again the Time Lord was able to dodge it.

"That was another Time Lord, who calls himself the Doctor..." The Master tried to explain. He winced as a third rock connected with his arm.

"You're all the same," Jacques yelled. He found another rock and aimed it at the Master. "Leave us." He continued to throw rocks as the Time Lord made his way back into the dark forest. He waited until he was out of sight before hurrying back into the caves. "Come children we need to get up," He called out.

"But it is still dark," A little girl complained as she woke up.

"I know and I am sorry but we need to leave now. We can rest again later," Jacques informed her. He wondered how long he had until the Time Lord returned to destroy the cave. He rushed the children out of the cave and did a quick head count to make sure they were all there. Satisfied he had gotten them all, he began to lead them away from the burning forest and further away from their home. He didn't know where he was going, just that he had to keep them safe.

-DW-

The Master saw no other choice as he turned and left the scared man. He was curious about the others that were in the cave and why they hadn't come out to assist the man. He waited until the man disappeared back into the cave, before crouching down just out of sight. He watched as the man came out again with a group of children. They hurried in the opposite direction of the TARDIS. Sighing he stepped back onto his TARDIS and took it once more to the village.

He had tried unsuccessfully that night to help several of the people who were now homeless thanks to the Doctor. The people though had all been like the man and afraid of him. One woman he found was even clutching a screaming baby to her chest. Both of them were covered in dirt and the baby had a deep scratch on its arm. The woman though had refused his help. She had screamed at him to not kill her until he finally left. Not before he had left antiseptic and clean bandages for the baby. He hoped that she used them. Leaving his TARDIS he used the key he had received and went onto the other.

The Doctor from the other universe was sound asleep on the floor by the console. His sonic screwdriver was on the floor beside him and his glasses were askew on his face. He barely stirred as the Master stood in the doorway of his TARDIS. The Doctor looked so much like his old friend that it hurt. The Master couldn't help but wonder if his Doctor would have turned out differently if he had not been inspired that night. He liked this Doctor and would miss him once he returned to his own universe.

"Wake up," He said softly approaching the sleeping Time Lord. The Doctor jumped upon hearing his voice and for a moment had to remind himself that the Master was not the same one that had tortured him endlessly for a year. This Master was one that he could trust and what he thought Koschei would have turned out like if he hadn't heard the drums.

"Sorry," he apologized for scaring the Doctor. He could see the look of pure fear in his eyes and wondered what he had gone through. That would be a story for later though. "I searched the land. The Doctor is no longer here. I need to return to Gallifrey for supplies and to update the console on what happened. Would you like to come with me?"

"Humans aren't allowed on Gallifrey and I can't abandon my companions," The Doctor answered him. The Master looked at him confused.

"Since when can't they come?" The Master asked, reminding the Doctor that Gallifrey wasn't the home he left. He allowed the Master to input the coordinates on his TARDIS for the planet and then watched as he exited to his own TARDIS. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the handbreak.

The TARDIS barely landed before he ran off of her, not bothering to look at the controls. He couldn't help the overwhelming happiness he felt as he looked out into the grassy red field and felt the twin suns heat radiating down on him. He let out a whoop of joy as he toed his shoes off to feel the grass beneath his feet. He had been wanting to go home for so long and even though this Gallifrey was in another universe, for just a moment he could pretend. He looked around at Koschei's families land. He knew the place well for as a child he would run here often, and eat the sweet breads that their maid would make as he laughed with his friend. Taking a deep breath he exhaled it slowly as he was surrounded by the familiarity of his home.

Behind him, his own family home was hidden by a small hill. He was tempted to run to it and see if the barn he had played in as a child was still there. That barn had kept him safe on the long nights were he cried from his fear of the dark and it had been the last place he saw when he ended the Time War. Still he wanted to go to it.

"We aren't going back to the other universe are we?" Martha asked from where she stood in the door way of the TARDIS. She knew where they were from the Doctor's description of the planet and the happiness in his eyes. There was also sadness still hidden behind them but he looked younger then ever before.

"I'm sorry Martha," He replied. She nodded and disappeared back into the TARDIS. He was going to have to take his companions home eventually but the thought that he no longer had to be alone was the one he held on to. Even now he could feel the psychic web that surrounded the planet and the other minds reaching out to him in a way that was familiar to him as breathing. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to join the web. He opened them again as he heard the Master arriving a moment later.

"I thought it would be safer to leave your TARDIS here for now and we can go to stand before the High Council of the Time Lords together," The Master explained. "Your companions are welcome to enter my home and rest if they wish."

"Is the Doctor's home still over that hill?" The Doctor asked hopefully. The Master shook his head no.

"This universe's Doctor burned down the house and the old barn when he was banned from setting foot on Gallifrey again, except for in her prison cells. The land still belongs to your family though and I am sure you could ask permission to build upon the land once your name has been cleared," The Master suggested. The Doctor smiled at him.

"What about his family?" The Doctor questioned, curious but also stalling from going. The Master though was understanding.

"He only had one brother who died during the Time War. Both of his parents are on the Council and live in Council housing. His brother had inherited the land but chose to live with his wife in her families home. The land itself had been vacant for years before the home was even burned," The Master explained. He put a comforting hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "I must warn you the Council is going to be weary of your story. They are going to insist that you are subjected to the Sacakurdi in order to verify your story."

"I'm not afraid," The Doctor lied. He knew exactly what the Sacakurdi was and how it worked. He had only seen it used a few times in his long life but he didn't often attend Council hearings. The Sacakurdi was reserved for liars and traitors to the Time Lords. The Time Lord on trial would be strapped down into a wooden chair and a circular device made of wires placed on his or her head. Once the device was switched on it would open all the doors in the psychic mind. It was impossible to hide anything from the Sacakurdi. The memories where then displayed on a screen that either proved or disproved your innocence. If you were innocent, the memories were wiped from the device and you would be free to go about your way. If you were found guilty though... The Doctor shuddered at the thought.

"As long as you come from the other universe as you have stated you have nothing to fear," The Master reassured him. "The Council is just and will see that you had no other choice when stopping your own people."

"I need to tell Jack we are going," The Doctor told the Master without commenting. All these years traveling alone in the universe he had only wanted forgiveness for the acts he had to commit during the Time War. Now he could finally have it and he could have his home. When he had first ran from Gallifrey it was because he didn't agree with the way the Time Lord's sat back and watched the universe unfold rather than interacting with it. Now he was seeing a whole other side to that where the Time Lords interacted with the other species. He went through the console room and to the medi-bay.

Emma was awake and curled in Jack's arms the best she could with her broken leg. Her small body was covered in sweat and the room had the faint sent of sick. Jack was stroking her head softly but he looked up at the Doctor as he entered the room.

"Martha tells me you want to stay in this universe." There was no accusation in Jack's voice. He could see the joy in the Doctor's eyes about being back on Gallifrey.

"I do. I will find a way to take Martha home but you are welcome to stay here with me if you would like Jack," The Doctor offered. He came to the side of the bed and began to check Emma's vitals. "We have moved to Gallifrey and I am going to go with the Master to inform the council on what happened on the Boeshane Peninsula. You are welcome to leave the TARDIS and the Master has offered his home for us to stay in.

"What about Emma?" Jack questioned.

"The Master looked for her family Jack. The survivors though were unwilling to speak to him. I believe it would be unwise to take her back before she has had a chance to heal some," the Doctor explained. He pushed the monitor away, happy with her progress.

"I'm not her father. I care about the child but I know she isn't my Emma. My Emma passed away long ago. I will still raise her, if that is what it comes to and love her as my own," Jack informed the Doctor. "These Time Lords can't replace the family you lost either. They can make it easier for you and honestly Doc, it is nice to see you happy. If you want to stay here, I will stay with you."

"Thank you Jack." The Doctor smiled as he bounded off the TARDIS and back into the warm air. The Master turned to look at him.

"Ready to go?" The Master questioned.

"Allons-y," The Doctor yelled, running towards the Master's TARDIS. The Master laughed as he took off after him.

-DW-

The Master landed the TARDIS near the citadel. It was forbidden to land directly in it and so they were going to have to walk the last few feet up to the doors. The Doctor couldn't help but be nervous. He knew that he could easily be mistaken for this universes Doctor and it was only the word of the Master that would stop him from being locked in the cells without trial. Well a trial for him, the Doctor had all ready been found guilty of his crimes committed in this universe. He could be locked up with no further questions until the Time Lord council saw fit to release him once more.

He kept his head held high as they walked side by side. He could hear the whispers of the others around them though. He could also see them pointing at him as he passed with the Master.

"You're a monster," A woman screamed at him. He turned his eyes to look at her, as she was held back from attacking him. He could see the hatred on her face.

"I would never be welcomed here," The Doctor told the Master as he looked forward again. His dream of being able to live among people like him vanishing.

"They will welcome you. You just have to give them time," The Master reassured him. "They do not know the good you have done for the universe. You just have to convince them that you are not the same person." The Master reached out and squeezed his arm gently, reassuring him. As they walked up the stairs, the doors opened and a group of seven arm guards stepped out to meet them. The Doctor took a deep breath. It was time for the Master to prove that he really was on the Doctor's side.

"Doctor. You are under arrest by the order of Omega and the Time Lord council. You are to be escorted to the cells where you will await trial for your crimes committed against the Time Lords and the people of the universe." An official read as the guards stepped forward. He didn't recognize him but he was sure that he should have. He paused as the Master put a hand on his shoulder stepping past him.

"Loie, I ask for the Council of the Time Lords to gather and listen to this Time Lord known as the Doctor. Though he may look and share a name with the outlaw, he is not the same. He has agreed to sit upon the Sacakurdi in order to prove his innocence," The Master declared. The Doctor breathed out a sigh of relief as the Master demanded that he was listened to.

"You are aware outlaw, that if found guilty your mind will be held captive within the Sacakurdi while your body rots within the cells," Loie questioned him in disbelief.

"I am," The Doctor answered, his voice low. He cleared his throat.

"Very well. A Council meeting will be called. Until that time I ask that you accompany our guards down to the cells," Loie informed him. He started to step forward to follow the orders that were given as though he had an option. The Master stepped in front of him though.

"The Doctor will remain with me until the Council can be summoned. He has done no wrong to this universe and will not be treated like the outlaw until he can prove his innocence," The Master demanded.

"You forget your place Master," Loie snapped.

"Perhaps Loie it is you that forget yours. We are not here to condemn an innocent man while the outlaw remains free to wreck havoc on the universe. The Doctor has come here of his own free will to clear his name and offer his help, yet you will throw him in the cells. I have witnessed the good in him as he helped on the Boeshane Peninsula after the outlaw destroyed the place. He took an innocent child aboard his TARDIS and is tending to her wounds. This is not the actions of a man hell bent on ruling the universe," The Master informed Loie. There were murmurs around them and the Doctor realized that they were attracting a crowd.

"Very well then. He is to remain within the citadel until the Council can be gathered and by your side. If he is seen away from you, he will immediately be apprehended and thrown into the cells. Is that understood?" Loie asked.

"Yes," The Doctor answered sounding braver. The guards parted, standing on either side of the doors creating a path way up into the building. Hoping that he looked braver then he felt he walked side by side with the Master through the doors. They went to a small room to await the Council, but they thankfully didn't have to wait long. Word had spread quickly of a man who looked like the outlaw but claimed not to be. They were summoned through a door to the side and the Doctor looked out into the packed room. In front of him were seven Time Lords wearing the traditional orange robes of their people.

"Would the Doctor please step forward," Omega stated. The Doctor stepped away from the Master to stand in front of the seven. "It has come to the councils attention that you claim not to be the outlaw and wish to sit upon the Sacakurdi to prove your innocence."

"That is correct," The Doctor answered.

"We have decided to grant your request. If you will have a seat, we shall begin," Omega told him. He kept his breathing steady as he walked over to the chair that was against the wall by the bench. He sat down upon it and it took most of his will power not to fight against the men who strapped him down. A circular crown was placed upon his head. He felt a cold substance on the crook of his elbow before a needle pierced his skin. Within moments it felt as though his mind was being torn apart as his life was laid bare for the council. The memories of his long life moved to quickly for him to be able to focus on one of them. Secrets that he had kept were revealed to the machine and then disappeared into oblivion again. He screamed though he wasn't sure if any noises actually passed through his lips.

"Wake up," The Master cooed softly. He groaned lifting his head. A cup of water was pressed to his lips and he greedily drank. His head felt as strange but he still had his mind in tact. He was unstrapped from the chair. Leaning on the Master slightly for support, they moved to stand in front of the seven again.

"Your innocence has been proven Doctor. We would like to know more about these doors that you have discovered. We will discuss them in a private hearing later. First though, are you any closer to stopping the Outlaw?" Omega questioned. He had thought the walls between the universes had been closed forever after the Time War. To have a door that went between them was dangerous and he needed to make sure it was closed before others slipped in as well. Right now was not the time to focus on these doors though. There was still the Outlaw to stop.

"The Outlaw continues to elude my efforts to capture him. The havoc that he caused on the Boshane Peninsula is more evidence of his crimes. The people did nothing to him, but he destroyed their village and their lives for fun. He evaded my capture on the Peninsula but I am still confident that I will be able to capture him and the Doctor has agreed to help me," The Master informed the Council.

"The Outlaw has shown he cannot be captured. I believe the best course of action is for him to be killed on sight," Loie spoke up.

"That is not who we are Loie. The Doctor will be captured and placed into the cells," Omega dismissed Loie with a wave of his hand. The Doctor smiled at the gesture, happy that they weren't turning to killing as an option.

"The Outlaw has recently taken on a companion by the name of Rose Tyler, unlike his previous companions, he seems to genuinely care for her. I believe that if we capture her, he will come for her and we can set a trap for him," The Master offered. The Doctor perked his head up at Rose's name again. He knew this was another universe but he couldn't help but hope that it was her. He had once told her that they had to be careful in other universes because it was like a gingerbread house, full of temptations. He had gotten mad at her because she had gone after her father, but he had allowed himself to get wrapped up in this universe without a second thought.

"Doctor, it's time to go," The Master said softly. Looking up he realized that he had missed the rest of the hearing and the room was beginning to empty out. He needed a good night sleep and to connect with the TARDIS to get his mind back in line properly after it had been laid out for the Council to see. He nodded as he turned to follow the Master out of the Citadel and back to the Master's TARDIS.


	6. Chapter 6

The large home of the Master was sparsely decorated and showed its lack of use. There was no food in the fridge, but there were bottles of wine in the cellar covered with dust. The temperature had dropped quickly as night approached and Jack had found wood to light a fire in the large fireplace that was in the living room. Martha and Marta had stayed there to warm while he had taken Emma into the next room over, leaving the door open to allow the heat to follow. Emma was now sleeping peacefully on the couch in the parlor as Jack looked out the window. Behind him, he could hear the steady beep of the monitor that was hooked to her tiny body. Occasionally a whimper would escape her lips but for the most part she rested peacefully beneath a soft black blanket, her cast leg propped up on a pillow.

Outside the rain was falling hard. The sound of it filled the large quiet house. Martha was trying to find something to cook while Martha turned down the bedrooms for the night, Jack though was watching the storm. The angry dark red clouds had rolled in as they moved off of the TARDIS, with them they brought wind and rain unlike Jack had seen before. Sure he had been in storms before, but none that had shook with such ferocity. The thunder seemed to roll through the house rattling the windows and shaking the home as the lightning ripped the sky apart.

The sound of the door opening startled Jack as he didn't hear the TARDIS returning over the wind. The Doctor entered with the Master, his eyes had large bags under them and he looked even more exhausted than the last time Jack had seen him. In their arms, they had bags that were filled with various types of foods.

"How did it go?" Jack asked, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't wake Emma though, at the moment, he was sure that nothing would.

"The Doctor here was cleared of the Outlaw's crimes and is free to come and go from Gallifrey as he pleases," The Master informed Jack.

"How is Emma?" The Doctor wondered, looking over at the sleeping little girl.

"She is the same," Martha answered coming into the room. "You, on the other hand, need to eat something and then get to bed."

"But," The Doctor started to argue.

"She is right Doctor," The Master said taking Martha's side. "Have a seat and I am going to make dinner. After you need to go to bed and sleep."

"Fine," The Doctor huffed slightly realizing that he had been gained up on. For dinner, the Master and Marta made a large pot of soup for the group to share. They set aside a small bowl for Emma when she woke up but between the five of them, they finished off the entire pot, a loaf of bread and four bananas. Full and exhausted from the long day, the Doctor was the first to retire for the night. Everyone else followed shortly after him except for Jack. He didn't need to sleep much and was too worried about Emma to sleep. Instead, he once more returned to the window to watch the rain.

-DW-

Though the Doctor had gone to bed first he was having trouble sleeping. Even if he was back on Gallifrey he felt just as alone as he did before. Though being back on Gallifrey after all these years away was nothing like he expected. He wasn't welcomed back, but he wasn't hated either. Instead, these people accepted that he wasn't from their universe and would help them to stop the rogue Doctor who was. If he was completely honest he was upset over the fact that there wasn't one universe that he knew of where he belonged on the planet of his birth. Instead, he took to running away as young as possible in order to find peace. Jack and Martha's counterparts at least seemed to have good lives and Jack's was a good man based on how Emma adored Jack.

The door to his room opened a crack, and he looked up expecting to see Martha checking in on him. He was about to tell her that he didn't need checking up on when he realized that it was the Master standing in his doorway.

"Can I come in?" The Master asked softly. Just like that he realized that he wasn't alone in this universe. The Master was here with him. It may not have been the same Master that he grew up with, but it was the one that he always wished that Koschei could be. He had once thought he had a future with Koschei but as they aged, he couldn't convince himself the pain that he felt was love any longer.

"Yes," He answered, his voice barely above a whisper. He hoped he didn't regret the decision as the door opened wider and the Master came in, closing the door tightly behind him. The Doctor heard the click of the lock, but he wasn't afraid though his hearts were thudding loudly in his chest. He watched as the Master came around the side of the bed. He didn't ask as he climbed up on it, laying so that he was facing the Doctor. He reached up and cupped the Doctor's face in his hand, lightly thumbing his cheek. Leaning in their mouths met. The kiss was soft and loving. The Master didn't try to dominate him as he pushed his tongue against the Doctor's mouth to explore it deeper. The Doctor allowed him to, savoring the gentleness.

With hesitant movements, he unbuttoned the Master's shirt, helping him to peel it away. Not breaking the kiss, he sat up a little to remove his own shirt, pushing their cool bodies together. He could feel the Master's hearts beating quickly as well and it comforted him a little to know that the Master was also nervous. He hugged him close as he laid back again, not wanting to lose the skin on skin contact. The Master took the next step, removing his hand from his face so he could undo the belt on the Doctor's trousers. As the belt was removed the Doctor tensed for just a moment as the image of being tied to the bed with the belt flashed in his mind. The fear was short lived though as the belt was thrown aside, followed shortly by the Masters. After their belts were gone, it was quick work to remove their trousers so they lay naked in each other's arms. Both of them moved their hips slowly against the other, their members rubbing each other.

"Koschei," The Doctor moaned, finally breaking the kiss. He reached up and stroked the Master's hair back as he looked up into his eyes.

"Oh Theta," the Master groaned. The Master rolled the Doctor onto his back so that he was leaning over him. He knelt between his legs, continuing to kiss him softly. There was no rush in his movements as he was just as afraid of hurting the Doctor as he was of being hurt. They both needed this though. Needed to confirm that the man they were laying with wasn't the same one that had caused them pain many times in the past. The Master leaned up taking his member in his hand and positioned the tip at the Doctor's entrance. He looked at the Doctor for reassurance and saw the Doctor nod. He fumbled for a moment as he looked for anything that could be used as lube. He knew how painful it was to be taken dry and he wasn't going to do that to the man putting his trust in him. Finding it, he slicked his cock and once again put it against the Doctor's anus. 

"Koschei," The Doctor cried out as he was finally breached in one slow movement. His eyes went wide and he gripped the sheets tightly in his hands. 

"Do you want me to stop?" The Master asked in concern as the Doctor seemed to be in pain. 

"No," The Doctor whispered. He reached down and grabbed his legs pulling them towards his chest. As he did, the Master pushed in further. He kept moving with slow thrust until his groin was against the Doctor's firm bottom. Leaning up he kissed him lazily as he moved his hips minutely, not wanting to be separated for a moment from the Time Lord in his arms.There was no anger, no fear and no pain, nor anything else that the Doctor or the Master had come to associate with sex with each other. For just a moment, nothing else in the universes mattered to the Doctor, except for finding peace with the Time Lord that he had once loved and now could love again.

Feeling more assured, the Master leaned back, placing his hands on the Doctor's thighs. He began a slow rhythm at first, moving deep into the Doctor's body. As he grew closer to his release that rhythm changed. He thrust hard into the Doctor's body, listening to him moan his name. He watched as the Time Lord came undone by the sensation. Moving his hand to the Doctor's member, he gripped it in his hand, moving his wrist to his thrust. 

"Koshcei, I'm going to.." The Doctor moaned his body going tense. The Doctor reached up and pulled the Master down, kissing his mouth as he cried out his release into it. He clenched tightly around the Master as his release covered their stomachs. A few moments later, the Master followed him over the edge, filling the Doctor with his seed. He rolled off of the Doctor, taking him into his arms as he laid by his side. The Master threw his leg over the Doctor's legs, as he pulled the Doctor closer to him. They were both sweating profusely in the cold night air, but neither one of them wanted to separate from the other's embrace. The Doctor reached down, pulling one of the blankets over them as he snuggled closer into the Master's embrace.

-DW-

The night was ending as Jacques stopped, finally allowing the children to rest. The older ones were supporting the younger children, all of them barely on their feet from running most of the night. They were exhausted, scared and just wanted to go home, but their homes were gone. Their lives had been ripped to shreds and they were going to have to find a way to rebuild them. Though the night was ending the fires still burned across their home, making the sunrise hazy.

"Jacques," A man called out. Jacques tensed for a moment as he had not heard the man approaching. Much to his relief though Gray stepped out of the wilderness. Gray had been like a brother to him since they were children and the fact that he was alive gave Jacques hope. He embraced his friend, as he smiled the first real smile he had since the ordeal began.

"Have you seen any others?" Jacques asked.

"Yes there is a small group of us still alive. We ran when the island began to burn. Your wife is there to Jacques, she is hurt but she is alive," Gray informed him happily.

"Is Emma with her?" Jacques asked, daring to believe his daughter might be alive. Gray shook his head and Jacques closed his eyes.

"We will find her if she is still alive Jacques, I promise. Come with me though, let's get the children to safety. We have food and water and they can rest. Then together you and I will set out to find Emma," Gray informed him. Jacques nodded his agreement. Once the children were safe, he was going to check on his wife and then find his beloved daughter. One way or another he was going to bring her home.

-DW-

Jack stood staring out the large window of the Master's home towards the trees in the distance. Every once in a while a flash of lightening would cut across the sky making the trees blaze as though they were on fire. The clap of thunder that followed would roll through the house where everyone but him was asleep. He was surprised that the storm didn't wake Emma but she was still sleeping off the drugs that were wrecking havoc on her small body. He looked over at her briefly. She looked pale and so small beneath the blankets on the Master's couch. He wanted to go and hold her but he also couldn't allow himself to get overly attached to her. No matter what happened her father could be out there some where and it was a priority to get her home.

He had no home now. Not in this universe or the other. He would travel with the Doctor as long as he was allowed to. He had allowed himself the illusion that maybe the Doctor wanted him as a companion again for just a moment. That dream was shattered though when he had gone to check on the Doctor and heard him moaning the Master's name. Maybe he could get the Doctor to drop him off on Earth. Once there he could establish a new Torchwood there and build it from the ground up. Using his knowledge he could turn it into the establishment he always thought Torchwood could be.

"Daddy," Emma whimpered. Leaving the window he went to the little girl's side.

"I'm here sweetie," he whispered.

"I don't feel good." She burst into tears and Jack sat down on the couch taking her into his arms.

"I know but Martha is taking good care of you and you will feel better soon," Jack promised her.

"I want mommy," She cried holding onto him tighter. He didn't have an answer for that. He didn't know where her mother was or even if she had siblings. They had uprooted her life in order to save her and as much as this little girl reminded him of his own daughter, he knew nothing about her. He didn't know her favorite color, food, if she could read or even how old she was. He held her making gentle shushing sounds as she cried. When she had gone quiet again, he looked down to see that she was still awake but cried out. She clung to him looking lost.

"How about a drink little one," the Master offered as he came into the room. Jack looked up surprised to see him, as he didn't hear him come down the stairs. The Master though was standing there with two mugs and a glass of milk. He gave one of the mugs to Jack and the milk to Emma.

"How is the Doctor?" Jack asked. The Master eyed him as he sat down in one of the chairs.

"He is sleeping," The Master answered. "Jack..."

"Don't. I am just glad he finally gets a chance to be happy again," Jack interrupted. The Master nodded. It was obvious Jack was hurt by what happened between him and the Doctor but the Master wasn't even sure what it meant. He didn't know if it was just a one time thing or if he could finally have the relationship he had always longed for. There would be people hurt either way but the Master felt he had the right to be selfish for one. All of his life he was looked down upon for being different. Then when the Doctor ran he was expected to stop him. He wasn't asked if he would, just told to take the TARDIS and go. He never married, never had children, just chased the Outlaw through space and time. His home had always felt to large but now it was filled and upstairs sleeping was the man he could welcome into his hearts.

"He would still need a companion. I don't intend on abandoning Marta she has been through to much with me," The Master informed Jack.

"I will travel with him if that is what he wants, but if not I will have him take me to Earth so I can build a life there," Jack answered him.

"With Emma?" The Master inquired gesturing towards the child watching him wearily. She was unsure of the Time Lords and the home they were in. Jack trusted them though and that was enough for her, but she didn't have to like them.

"Only if we can't find her family," Jack answered. Emma snuggled closer to him and he kissed her softly on the head. As much as he wanted to find her father, he knew doing so would break his heart.

-DW-

Early the next morning the group, minus the Doctor and Emma, gathered in the kitchen to make breakfast. They made small talk as a pot of coffee was made and the kettle heated for tea. The Master had bought the ingredients to make pancakes for breakfast the night before and Marta was mixing the batter. Jack leaned against the counter watching. He was amazed how at ease he all ready felt in the Master's home.

"You look much better this morning!" Martha exclaimed as the Doctor came down the stairs to join them for breakfast. He had showered, shaved and dressed in his brown suit. The bags were gone from underneath his eyes along with the sadness they had held for so long. He actually looked younger then Jack had ever seen before.

"Thank you," The Doctor answered going into the kitchen. The Master offered him a cup of tea and he took it, giving the Master a soft kiss on the cheek. The kiss wasn't missed by any of them but none of them drew attention to it, in order not to embarrass the Time Lords. "How is Emma?"

"Sleeping. She was up part of the night due to not feeling well," Jack told him. "I think we should go back to the Boshane peninsula and look for her family again."

"I agree. I am worried though that the Outlaw will follow us and destroy the rest of what's left of those people's lives," The Master answered.

"Then we can catch him," Martha offered. The Master shook his head no.

"I am not using those people as a lure to draw the Outlaw in. There has to be another way to catch him," The Doctor argued, agreeing with the Master.

"I think I have a way to draw him out but I am going to need your help," The Master told the Doctor. He smiled as the Master slipped his hand in his and squeezed it gently. He saw the look of jealousy flash threw Jack's eyes and realized he was going to have to talk to him soon. For now though they had a rebel Time Lord to catch.


	7. Chapter 7

After breakfast was finished and the dishes done, Jack, the Doctor and the Master all three made there way out to the TARDIS to talk. Though Jack would have like Martha and Marta to be involved it was agreed that they would stay at the house, taking care of Emma, while the three of them took care of the outlaw. Jack was surprised when they went past the Doctor's TARDIS, heading to the Masters. He had never been on another TARDIS before so he didn't know what to except accept that it would be bigger on the inside. Upon opening the doors, he found a much smaller room then the Doctor's.

The console was still set in the middle of the room, but there was less space to move around the edges as the TARDIS had been designed to be driven by three people rather than the six the Doctor's TARDIS required. The buttons on the console were sleeker and the overall feel of the TARDIS was more modern compared to the corals the Doctor had. The Doctor though was immediately at ease in the new TARDIS as he examined the console.

"Yours is male," He exclaimed slightly surprised by the feel of the TARDIS in his head.

"Yes, all TARDISes in this universe are male. I was just as surprised to find yours was a female," The Master informed him.

"So what is the plan?" Jack asked not interested in their conversation about the TARDIS at the moment. The Doctor raised an eyebrow to the Master who shrugged before they both turned to look at Jack.

"We use the Doctor," the Master began.

"Absolutely not," Jack interrupted angrily.

"Let him finish," The Doctor told Jack calmly. Jack looked to the Doctor to see no fear on his face. He seemed happy even with the Master wanting to use him as bait. Jack motioned for the Master to continue.

"We use the Doctor to lead the Outlaw to the location we want him in. The Outlaw keeps up with the news on Gallifrey so he would be aware of the Doctor's presence by now. We use that to draw him out of hiding with news that we are going to send the Doctor through the door back to his own universe before locking the doors forever," The Master explained.

"But we don't know where the door is," Jack informed the Master.

"He doesn't know that. He will show up and try to enter the other universe but we will have guards and security there to arrest him," The Master answered. He made it sound so simple but Jack had lived long enough and seen enough go wrong to know it never was that simple. He could think of all the ways the Outlaw could escape their trap without even knowing the trap the Master was planning on setting.

"What makes you think that he will show?" Jack asked still not liking the plan. He didn't want to put the Doctor into harm's way, even if that is what the Master and the Doctor had agreed upon. Though he was upset by the Doctor's decision to stay with the Master, he would never forgive himself if he allowed the Doctor to be hurt when he could have stopped it.

"He will show. A chance to cross into an unknown universe where he is seen as an entity of good. He has wanted to rule the universe for his entire life and your universe will never see him coming," The Master told Jack. Jack nodded his understanding. The Outlaw's plans though reminded him of the Masters. The year that never was had been forgotten by everyone else in the universe but a few. Jack still had nightmares about it and he doubted they would ever end. Part of him didn't even believe the Master was really gone. He believed somewhere out there he was waiting for his chance to rule the universe again. With the Outlaw by his side the two of them would be unstoppable. Jack reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Tell me what I have to do," Jack said finally.

"Good man. Your job is easy. You will be there to draw the Outlaw to the door, while I try to keep him away from the door. We want him to go through it of course, but he has to believe that we don't," The Master told Jack. "He will also be able to see the way that time bounces off of you. It is hard to look at but it is fascinating. We are going to put you in the room we want him to enter as a focus point. He has to believe that there is a reason to open the door or he will never fall for it."

"So I am also bait," Jack concluded.

"Unfortunately yes. We will make it up to you, later though," The Master answered. He came closer to Jack and threw his arms around his shoulders. Jack eyed him wearily for a second, not sure of the game he was playing. The Master knew he had heard the two of them in bed and that it hurt him to know that he had once again lost his chance with the Doctor. "What do you say Doctor?"

"Yes," The Doctor's reply sounded hesitant. Jack looked to him.

"You don't have to Doctor," He told the man. Carefully he lifted the Master's hand off his shoulder before walking over to the Doctor. "I know you are with the Master now. I don't expect anything from you."

"I have two hearts for a reason Jack," The Doctor said. He leaned in kissing Jack softly on the cheek as the Master once more came up behind him. The Master wrapped his arms around Jack from behind and the Doctor stood, hugging him from the front. Jack though stayed frozen in the middle of the two of them, not sure what was going on. The Master from their universe had always been hypnotic and he couldn't help but wonder if this Master had gotten inside the Doctor's mind as well.

-DW-

Jacques, Gray and the children made it to a small clearing where the other survivors of the village had gathered. The once growing population was now a third of its size. Children ran to parents, aunts or uncles and in a few cases grandparents as the people celebrated that the children were alive. Around him he could hear babies crying and saw one woman he didn't know to well tending an infant with a bandage on its arm. He looked around eagerly for his wife though, finally spotting her with the others who required treatment.

"Oh sweetheart," Jacques whispered as he saw the large bandage that covered most of her right arm and across her shoulder. Her hair was shorter then when he had left her the morning before to head to work. She was sleeping but Jacques wasn't sure if it was a drug induced sleep or if she had fallen asleep on her own.

"What happened to mommy?" James asked. Jacques looked at his three surviving children. He didn't have an answer for them, just like he didn't have an answer for where Emma was. He planned to find out though.

"I don't know but I want you three boys to brave for me and help take care of mommy while I go and find Emma with Gray. Can you do that for me?" Jacques asked them.

"Don't leave," Seth begged, wrapping himself around his father's leg.

"I have to find Emma. One way or another I am going to bring her home. I just need you to be brave a little while longer," Jacques informed him. He leaned down and kissed each of his children on the head in turn. He then kissed his wife, hoping that he would have good news for her when she awoke. Standing straight once more he turned to find Gray. He didn't have to look hard though as Gray was watching them from a short distance away.

"Ready?" Gray asked as he came closer.

"Yes," Jacques answered. Moving quicker with just the two of them, they headed back towards the fires.

-DW-

Jack stood frozen between the two men not sure if this was what the Doctor really wanted. Of course his mind reeled at the possibility of bedding the Doctor but he was reluctant to believe the Doctor wanted him. He couldn't wait until everything was said and done with the outlaw to find out for sure. Leaning in he wrapped his arms around the Doctor and pressed his lips to his. He was happy when the Doctor immediately returned the kiss. His lips were cool and he still tasted of the tea that he drank before, but Jack expected nothing less.

"Bedroom?" The Master asked as he watched the two of them kiss.

"Yes," Jack moaned around the Doctor's lips. He broke the kiss leaning back so that he could look into the Doctor's eyes. He could see hesitation in them even as the Doctor turned and started to head to the corridor. Jack grabbed his hand turning him around. "You don't have to do this."

"I want to," The Doctor answered. He tugged Jack's hand pulling him with him as they headed into the corridor. He wasn't quite sure where they were going but just like on his TARDIS, a large door was waiting at the end of the hall slightly open. He headed to it. Pushing it open revealed a simple room with a large bed in the middle of it perfect for the three of them. The Master closed the door behind them and the Doctor's eyes grew wide as Jack began to undo the buttons on his jacket.

"We won't let you fall," The Master reassured the Doctor, as he approached the two of them. "Neither one of us has to be alone anymore. Jack, you and me have been running all of our lives, perhaps it is time we stop and settle down for a while." The Doctor looked at the Master as Jack continued to undress him. The Master was undressing himself as he spoke.

"We still have to stop the outlaw and return Emma to her father," The Doctor informed him.

"Of course, but then you two are welcome to stay in my home for as long as you want," The Master said. The Doctor smiled. He leaned over Jack's shoulder to kiss the Master on the lips. The Master took his hand and led him onto the bed. He hesitated for a moment as he crawled up on the bed after him. He really didn't want to be on his hands and knees. "Put your head in my lap," The Master instructed. Looking over he saw the Master was sitting cross-legged on the bed. He laid down so that his head was on the Master's legs and took his hands in his. He felt the bed move again as Jack climbed up on the bed with him. Jack knelt between his legs and his grip tightened as Jack dipped his head lower.

"Oh Jack," The Doctor moaned. He closed his eyes, arching his back slightly. What Jack could do with his mouth felt so amazing that he actually whimpered when Jack pushed a finger into his body. The dual sensation had him coming apart and he was thankful for the Master's hands to hold onto. Jack pulled his finger out and he heard the cap of a bottle being opened before two slick fingers pushed their way back in. 

"He is going to cum if you keep that up," The Master warned Jack as he watched the Doctor's face. Jack released the Doctor with a grin. 

"We can't have that yet, now can we," He replied as he removed his fingers. The Doctor didn't have time to process the loss as he legs were lifted in the air and he felt something large pressing against his body. Jack was bigger then the Master and the Doctor moaned loudly as Jack finally pushed his way into his body. Also unlike the Master, Jack didn't give him time to adjust as he started moving deep and hard inside his body. His body jolted with each thrust and he could feel the Master's erection against his head as Jack pushed into him. He wanted badly to touch his own member, but the Master held his hands preventing him from it. It turned out he didn't need to as Jack adjust and hit his prostate with each thrust. He arched his back, whimpering Jack's name over and over again as he felt his body tense, then the sweet release as his body fell over the edge. 

Jack leaned forward to kiss the Time Lord as the Doctor cried out, his body clenching tightly around Jack. This was nothing like Jack ever pictured when he thought of sleeping with the Doctor. Still he wouldn't change anything about the moment, not even having the Master in the room with them.

"You're beautiful," The Master cooed to the Doctor as he watched him move with Jack. Jack nodded as his agreement as he continued to thrust hard into the Doctor's body looking for his own release. He pushed himself as deep as he could as he filled the Doctor's passage. Exhausted, but not ready to separate yet from the man he had waited for, Jack fell forward, wrapping himself around the Doctor, kissing him. He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up into the Master's eyes. The Master made a rolling motion with his hand and Jack nodded. Jack pulled out of the Doctor finally as he rolled them so the Doctor was laying on top of him. The Doctor cuddled into him looking sleepy at first but then his eyes grew wide as the Master moved behind him. 

He whimpered as he felt the Master slip into his already exhausted body. The Master followed Jack's lead, not being as gentle with him as he pounded into his sore hole. He gripped Jack tightly thankful for something to hold onto as his body rocked against Jacks. He kissed Jack on the lips, whimpering as his sole focus became the two bodies holding him and the feeling of the Master moving in and out of his body. Surprising himself, he found a second release quickly as the sensations became too much, covering his and Jack's stomach with cum. The Master followed him a short time later, mixing his seed with Jack's deep inside his body. As the Master collapsed down beside him, he could feel it leaking down his bottom. It wasn't the most pleasant feeling, but he didn't feel like moving to clean up at the moment.

"I can't keep up with you two," The Doctor mumbled as he relaxed onto Jack's chest once more. He had slept all night but he was feeling drowsy again. The Master smiled, gently stroking a hair back from the Doctor's face.

"Sleep now, we will deal with the outlaw when you awaken," The Master reassured him. He sat up to move the blankets and Jack looked at him.

"Aren't you staying?" Jack wondered.

"Of course, I am just covering us up," The Master answered. He pulled the blanket up and over the all ready sleeping Doctor. Kissing Jack softly, he cuddled into the two of them and closed his eyes to rest as well. Jack was the last one awake as usual, but he had finally found bliss between the Time Lord draped across his chest and the one sleeping soundly beside him.


	8. Chapter 8

There were few things that really scared the Doctor anymore. He had already suffered some of his deepest fears such as outliving his own people, especially his children. He didn't like death, but he didn't fear it as he had already faced it ten times and if the prophesies were correct would be facing it again soon. He hated and feared the Daleks. Secretly he hoped that they weren't in this new universe but he had the feeling that they would follow him even here. Then there was his fear of the dark. It was one that had followed him since childhood and though he had learned not to show it, he still feared being alone in a pitch dark room. He had also feared giving his hearts to anyone and having them shattered again. Yet as he lay warm on Jack's chest with the Master laying by his side he no longer feared it.

"Morning," Jack whispered, kissing him on his head as he saw the Doctor's eyes were slightly open. He moaned snuggling more into Jack as he wasn't ready to wake up yet.

"No," He whimpered.

"Yes, it is time to get up so that we can stop the outlaw. Then once he is safe in a prison cell, you can spend all the time you want on my chest or laying on your back with your legs in the air," Jack teased him. The Doctor just rolled his eyes, besides the thought of being sore, it didn't really sound like a bad idea.

"Regardless of whether or not we catch the outlaw today, we can keep him on the bed," The Master spoke up. He leaned in and kissed the pout that formed on the Doctor's face. The Doctor smiled.

"So where are we going to lure him too?" Jack questioned as he ran his hand gently along the Doctor's spine, not wanting him to move quite yet.

"A small inhabited planet on the outskirts of the Hades system. I wish we could go to an uninhabited system, but he would never believe. I am going to make an announcement to the council that we were able to trace the coordinates of the door by backtracking in the TARDIS. I will tell them the Doctor has decided to return home and the door will be closed in the process. Meanwhile, we are going to send a message to the security letting them know that we are luring the outlaw to the same coordinates," The Master explained his thoughts. "We will take your TARDIS Doctor and allow the outlaw to follow it while the guards take mine. Once there Jack will hide in the room we want him to enter so he believes there is something behind the door. The guards will be with Jack and once he enters he will be apprehended. His companion will then have her memories erased and be returned to her home planet."

"It sounds too simple," Jack commented.

"I agree, but it is the best plan we have at the moment. If we can't get the outlaw, I at least want to capture his companion today," The Master commented. He rolled out of bed and then helped the Doctor to stand. The plan seemed easy, but Jack had a bad feeling that everything was going to go downhill and quickly. Still that didn't stop him from following the two of them to the shower and the Doctor once again found himself in the middle of two men who cared about him. He was right thinking that he was going to be sore a lot, but still it was worth it.

-DW-

It wasn't hard to send the message out to the council while at the same time the Doctor let them know the true plan through the message. The guards arrived within the hour and the two TARDISes headed towards the same destination in order to try to draw the Outlaw to them. Though the planet was inhabited the building they chose only had a few people within it. They were cleared out as the guards took their places, pretending to be civilians. They chose a room in the middle of the building that only had a single hallway leading to it in order to control the Outlaw's movements. Jack kissed the Doctor and then the Master before he headed into the room.

The Doctor waited outside of the door to the room that Jack was in. The guards were in place and the Master was nearby as they waited for the Outlaw to come. They had made sure to leave a trail that wasn't completely easy to follow but one that he would be able to follow none the less. The door to the room was closed even though Jack had protested that it should remain open. The problem was that they didn't know when the Outlaw would arrive and if he saw the guards waiting for him, it would surely send him running.

"I am going to miss you," The Master told the Doctor. "It was nice having a moment where I could pretend that the Doctor had turned out to be the Time Lord I always thought he could be."

"Always so sentimental, you make me sick," A voice hissed from down the hall. The Master spun around to see the outlaw standing there. His face looked older than just a few days prior as they had met on the peninsula. He was still wearing a bow tie but was now wearing a long purple coat with a pocket watch across his waist. The Doctor's hearts stopped for a moment when he saw his companion.

"Rose?" The Doctor asked stepping forward slightly.

"Remember this is another universe," The Master informed him, hearing the pain in his voice. The Doctor knew that but this was different, there was no doubt in his mind that the woman standing in front of him was the same one that he had fallen in love with and then made the hard decision to leave behind again on the beach so that she could be happy.

"Where is the Metacrisis?" He questioned her.

"He wasn't you," Rose answered him, not moving from beside the outlaw. "I did everything to get back to you and then you left me on that beach with a man who only had one heart."

"He isn't me either," The Doctor gestured to the outlaw as his hearts broke. The Metacrisis had been him. He may have not had two hearts, but he had all of the same memories up until the time the energy had been put into the hand. The Metacrisis would have loved Rose just as much as the Doctor did and they could have shared a life together.

"As much fun as this is, I have a universe to rule," The Outlaw informed them. "Now Doctor you are going to tell me where the real door is."

"It is right here," The Doctor answered keeping his voice confidant. The Outlaw chuckled as he pulled a gun out of his jacket. He aimed it directly at the Doctor and then released the safety.

"One last chance, where is the door?" The Outlaw asked.

"You don't want to do this," The Master informed him stepping forward with his hands raised slightly. The Outlaw didn't normally bother to carry a weapon so he was surprised by the gun. He went to step in front of the Doctor to block him with his body when the gun went off. He felt the bullet graze his arm. Turning he saw the Doctor holding his stomach as a pool of blood spread across it.

"Doctor," Rose cried out in horror, rushing towards him. The door flew open and Jack came out of the room.

"You were suppose to protect him," Jack called out, grabbing the Doctor as he started to collapse forward. The guards rushed out of the room as well and took off after the Outlaw who was now running down the hall. Jack didn't watch as he scooped the Doctor into his arms, rushing towards the medi-bay. "Hang on sweetheart. I am not going to let you die."

"Keep him stable I am going to get help," The Master called out after Jack. He didn't know if Jack heard him but he also wasn't planning on losing the Doctor. In the confusion Rose tried to escape as well but the Master grabbed her arm. He drug her kicking and fighting him to the TARDIS cell where he locked her in. He then ran to the console, the only thought on his mind that he had to get back to his home where Marta and Martha were waiting. The Doctor needed them if he was going to live.

The Master pushed the TARDIS as hard and as fast as she could go. He wasn't use to this TARDIS and didn't have the same connection to her that he did his but she knew her driver was in trouble. She obeyed his every move, making the ride as smooth as possible. Rather then land her outside again and waste time have to run into his home, he landed right beside the couch in the den. Within moments the door to the TARDIS opened. Both Martha and Marta rushed on their faces identical in concern.

"What happened?" Marta asked him, seeing the blood dripping down his arm from where the bullet had grazed him.

"I'm fine. You need to go to the Doctor he has been shot," The Master informed them.

"It looks like you have been shot to," Martha answered him coming closer.

"I just was grazed, he was hit in the stomach. Go to him," The Master stated as he pushed them towards the medi-bay. Martha didn't need any other prompting as she ran towards the room.

"Why not take him to a hospital?" She asked. She was a doctor herself but she had no training on how to operate on a Time Lord.

"Because regeneration is inevitable," The Master answered them as they headed to the medi-bay. "They will not try to save this body as they have been trained to guide the patient through his regeneration rather then stop it. I won't lie to you, if we interrupt his regeneration it is very dangerous and could result in a final death."

"I won't let that happen," Martha told him determined to save the Doctor. Upon entering the medi-bay she saw Jack standing over the Doctor. The Doctor had an oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose as his breath came in short labored gasp. Jack was holding a blood soaked gauze against his abdomen trying in vain to stop the bleeding. The Doctor's right hand was hanging off the edge of the bed, golden light flickering around it.

"Marta, Master, scrub up. I want you ready to operate as quickly as possible. Jack I need you to go and watch Emma," Martha demanded as she moved to get ready as well.

"Please," The Doctor started to moan.

"Don't speak sweetheart," Jack whispered. He adjusted his hands and the Doctor just groaned. Though it hurt him to hear the cry the Doctor let out when he first had put pressure on the wound, the groan was worse as the Doctor slipped away from him. Marta and the Master rushed over. Marta took over putting pressure on the wound, allowing Jack to finally step back. The TARDIS medi-bay was a sterile room but there was a small operating room right off it that the Master wheeled the Doctor into. Jack stood and stared at the door for a moment feeling helpless. He wanted to go in to help them with the surgery but Martha was right he needed to take care of Emma. Slowly he turned, leaving the TARDIS.

-DW-

Three hours passed as Jack sat with Emma. She was feeling better and was sitting up slightly on the couch now rather then just slumping against it. Her leg was propped up on a few pillows showing her toes poking out the bottom of the cast. Her hair needed to be brushed and she needed to be bathed but she was smiling as she nibbled on a few pieces of toast. Jack was happy that she was feeling better and as much as he was going to miss her they needed to take her home soon. He looked up as he heard footsteps approaching.

"How is he?" Jack choked out the question seeing the grim look on the Master's face. Emma didn't like the Time Lord still and snuggled closer to Jack.

"He survived the surgery. We lost him at one point and I don't think I have ever heard such language as Martha fought to bring him back. The bullet was slowed slightly due to grazing my arm but it still caused a lot of damage to his right side, especially his liver before it lodged itself in one of his ribs just missing his spine," The Master explained to Jack. "He is still sleeping off the anesthesia at the moment but we got to him quickly and are expecting a full recovery.

"Can I see him?" Jack wondered. The Master nodded.

"Just make sure you don't wake him." The Master informed Jack. "I will stay here with Emma."

"Don't leave me Daddy," Emma begged, grabbing on to Jack's shirt as he started to stand.

"You will be safe with the Master Emma," Jack paused after. Those were words that he never thought he would say but he knew they were true even after they came out his mouth. "The Master is going to take good care of you while I go and check on the Doctor. Can you be a brave little girl for me and stay with him for a while?"

"I'm not little," She pouted.

"Of course your not. You're a big girl," The Master told her. She looked at him wearily with a small smile on her face. Jack kissed her softly on the top of the head as she finally let go of his shirt allowing him to stand.

"I also received word from the council. They were able to apprehend the Outlaw before he reached his TARDIS. Unfortunately several of the security guards were killed in the process. Two of them have regenerated but the third one died before he could," The Master informed Jack.

"But they got him," Jack said. He agreed with the Master though, it didn't feel like much of a victory. They had managed to stop the Time Lord who had wrecked havoc on the universe for almost a thousand years but at what cost. The Doctor was fighting for his life and three others had lost theirs. Before heading to the Doctor, Jack first went to the Master, wrapping his arms tightly around him. The Master hugged him back, their lips pressing together.

"Go to him," The Master told Jack as he broke the kiss. Not needing to be told twice, Jack rushed into check on the Doctor. Before entering he stood in the doorway staring at his lover. Just hours before the man had been laying on his chest, so full of life. Now he was laying on his back on the hospital bed. A blanket was folded at his stomach, revealing a large bandage covering his abdomen. He had an oxygen mask still but his breathing sounded a lot better and was coming more evenly rather then the quick gasp before the surgery.

"You can come in," Martha reassured Jack as he stood in the door. He looked over to see her sitting at the desk in the room. Marta was with her looking into a microscope as she filled out paperwork. Slowly he made his way over to the bed. He took the Doctor's hand in his, looking at the two IV's going into his arm. He was relieved to see that there was no longer any golden light or anything that would show that he was going to regenerate. "I gave him the antidote to the anesthesia so he should be waking up soon."

"Then the Master should be here too," Jack stated as he looked at the Doctor.

"We all three agreed that given his history with the Master, it would be better if he were fully awake before the Master came back," Martha told Jack. Jack couldn't argue with her logic. They didn't need the Doctor frightened because the Master was in his room. After what happened on the Valiant, Jack was surprised the Doctor even trusted this Master, let alone was able to be in bed with him.

"Jack," The Doctor sighed so softly that Jack almost missed it. He looked up and saw that the Doctor's eyes were open barely a crack. He smiled, lifting the Doctor's hand to kiss it softly.

"Hey you scared us," Jack informed the Doctor as he waved Martha over.

"Sorry," The Doctor whispered. He looked at his other hand as he lifted it, turning it over.

"You didn't regenerate," Jack reassured him. The Doctor nodded slightly letting his eyes drift closed again.

"Hey open those eyes again mister," Martha scolded him as she came to his side. In order to get him to listen she rubbed his arm with her knuckles. The Doctor's eyes opened again, looking towards Martha with a scowl on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"Bleh," He answered going to close his eyes again.

"Not so fast. Are you in pain?" She wondered. She had put pain relief in his IV but she had left room in case he needed more. He squinted his eyes as though he was thinking. He could feel pain in his abdomen but it wasn't bad unless he concentrated on it. He winced then nodded. She added a little more of the pain medication to the IV. "How is that?"

"Better, thanks," He breathed.

"Now just a drink of water and you can go back to sleep," Martha told him.

"Martha," he whined.

"I know I am just being mean now," Martha agreed moving his mask. He took a small sip of the water she offered before finally closing his eyes once more and drifting off. Jack kissed him on the head as Martha replaced the mask on his face. She raised an eyebrow at Jack but didn't question him, the Master had also mentioned the three of them were becoming close and she just wanted them to be happy.

-DW-

"Emma," The Master sighed as he stared at the little girl hiding underneath her blanket. She had pulled it up over her head almost as soon as Jack had left the room and refused to move it again. "I am not going to hurt you Emma. I know you are afraid but I promise you that I am just going to take you home."

"And daddy?" Emma's muffled voice came beneath the blanket.

"What is your daddy's name Emma," The Master asked her.

"Jacques," She answered. He smiled, moving closer to her he pulled down the blanket. She stared up at him with wide eyes.

"And what about your mummy's name?" The Master questioned. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sweet. Her eyes lit up at it but she didn't take it from him or answer. He held it out to her. The weary look back on her face she didn't take it.

"I'm not suppose to take sweets from strangers," Emma informed him.

"It is a very good rule," The Master told her slipping the sweet back in his pocket. He wondered what sort of strangers that they got on the peninsula that had caused her parents to give her that rule. As far as he was aware they were a closed off community up until the Outlaw made his presences know.

"We need to take her home," Jack said as he came back into the room. The Master nodded his agreement. "The Doctor has woken up and had a drink of water."

"That is good," The Master told Jack. Jack went to the couch. He gently lifted Emma up in his arms, being careful of her leg. She smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, moving her mouth close to his ear.

"Can I have a sweet?" She whispered. The Master laughed at Jack's confusion. Reaching into his pocket once more he pulled out the treat. Emma looked at it and then looked at Jack.

"Go ahead," Jack told her. She happily reached out, taking it into her hand.

"Now what is your mummy's name Emma," The Master asked as the three of them headed back onto the TARDIS.

"Sarah," She answered him softly.

"That is a very nice name," The Master told her. He walked around the controls, setting them to the peninsula. Once they landed, he scanned the area for survivors, finding a group on the edge of the forest. From there it was a short jump. He was going to miss Emma but he hoped that somewhere in the group her parents were waiting for her.


	9. Chapter 9

Jacques spent two days looking for his lost daughter. They found others who were hurt or lost and directed them towards the camp. Everyone they passed, he asked about Emma, but none of them had seen her. There wasn't even hope of finding a trail to follow as the fires and ground shaking had ruined them. In the end, they searched Jacques old home and the village they had lived in. His beautiful three bedroom home that his father had built was destroyed in the fires. There was no hope of saving anything that had been in it, he was just thankful that his wife and three sons were alive though he would mourn his daughter until his dying day. Emma had been the apple of his eye and a daddy's girl from the start.

It was with a heavy heart that he returned to the camp. He had a responsibility to his children that were alive to take care of them and build them a future. His wife was injured and unable to care for their growing boys. Still it was with hope that quickly turned to disappointment that she looked at him with as he returned to the camp empty handed with Gray by his side.

"I'm sorry Sarah," he cried taking her in his arms as gently as he could. He held her to him letting her cry for their missing daughter and lost village. They would rebuild their homes the best they could, but they could never replace Emma. The sound of a TARDIS landing filled the air around the encampment. Terrified, Jacques jumped to his feet, blocking his wife and children with his body. A blue box appeared at the edge of the clearing. The people of the village moved away from it, but most were too tired or injured to run. The ones who could move either shielded their loved ones in a vain attempt to stop the Time Lord or took the younger children towards the woods and safety. The box just sat there though for almost a full five minutes before the door finally opened.

"I mean you no harm," The Master said as he stepped off the TARDIS with his arms raised.

"Time Lord," One of the other's hissed, throwing a rock towards him. The rock sizzled as it hit an invisible shield. The Master was grateful he had let Jack talk him into adding the extrapulator shielding. He really didn't feel like getting hit with rocks or dying today. The Master looked at the man for a moment before returning his gaze to the larger group.

"I am looking for a Jacques or Sarah Harkness," The Master announced. No one answered him or stepped forward. He ran his eyes over the weary crowd before continuing. "I have a little Miss Emma Harkness who misses her parents." Jacques heart raced and his mouth went dry at the thought that his daughter was still alive and in the hands of the monster. His wife gasped behind him as he stepped forward.

"I am," He began his voice barely above a whisper and sounding scratchy. Hoping it wasn't a trap, he cleared his throat and tried again. "I am Jacques."

"Ah wonderful," The Master smiled broadly.

"I will give you anything you want Time Lord, just return my daughter unharmed," Jacques stated hoping that he sounded more confident than he felt.

"I don't want anything. I am not the one who destroyed your village or your homes. That was a Time Lord known as the Doctor or the Outlaw," The Master informed them. There was a collective gasp as even here they had heard of him. His savagery was known throughout the galaxy. "He has been apprehended and will be punished to the full extent of our laws."

"My daughter?" Jacques asked hopefully.

"Right, yes," The Master went back into the TARDIS. Jack was sitting on the captain's chair holding Emma in his arms. He had heard the entire conversation. As much as it pained him it was time to let Emma go home. He kissed her softly on the head.

"You be a good girl for your mummy and daddy," He tried not to tear up at her confusion as she was lifted into the Master's arms and carried to the door. The Master stepped out into the light of the clearing again.

"Emma," Jacques cried out rushing forward.

"Daddy?" Emma questioned. The Master stepped out of the shield and carefully handed her over to her father. Jacques kissed her several times as his eyes filled with tears.

"Her leg is broken. We set it but she is going to have to keep the cast on for awhile to make sure that it heals properly." The Master kept his voice low so only Jacques could hear him. "I can offer my medi-bay and medical supplies to anyone else who may need it."

"Thank you for returning my daughter to me but we don't need your help Time Lord," Jacques hissed slightly. The Master nodded his understanding.

"Take good care of her, that is a brave little girl you have." The Master turned, heading back on to the TARDIS and closing the doors behind him.

"We are just going to leave them struggling?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"They don't want our help, Jack. They are afraid of us because of what the Outlaw did. Forcing them to accept our help isn't going to change that," The Master stated. He went to the console and pushed a couple of buttons but made no move to leave. "Perhaps if Marta or Martha spoke with them they would be more willing to let us assist with their wounded."

"It couldn't hurt, as long as we make sure they are out of harms way," Jack agreed. He stood up and taking the Master's hand the two of them went to the medi-bay.

"There you two are," Martha exclaimed as they entered. "I was just about to go find you. We have a very unhappy Time Lord at the moment who doesn't need medical attention but a nice cuddle with a cuppa tea."

"I think we can handle that," Jack said happily. The Master nodded his agreement. Going over to the bed, they saw that the Doctor had tears running down his checks. He looked miserable as he tried to cuddle the pillow that was near him. The Master gently took it from him climbing up on the bed in front of him. The Doctor cuddled close to the Master holding on to him. Jack climbed up behind the Doctor and cuddled him close, using his body heat to help warm the Doctor. Both of them were careful of his surgical wounds as they held him between them.

"Tea?" Martha offered as she came back into the room. She tutted slightly seeing them both on the bed, but the Doctor looked visibly more relaxed so she would let them stay for now. The Master took the tea from her. He helped the Doctor take a sip.

"I missed you," The Doctor told the Master as the tea was sat on the table.

"I missed you too," The Master informed him with a kiss on the head.

"We've got you now, just rest," Jack whispered. The Doctor nodded. Feeling safe between his lovers, he closed his eyes and let the exhaustion overtake him.

-DW-

It took two days but the Master wouldn't give up on the people who were left behind. He didn't move the TARDIS nor did they move as they continued to rest and try to heal. Martha went out and spoke to them on more then one occasion. She was human though it took a while to convince the scared people of that. They thought it was another Time Lord trick, especially because the Master was with her. Only Jacques was more willing to believe that it was possible that the people on board the strange ship didn't want to hurt them and that was only because of Emma.

Emma told him how she had hurt her leg in the forbidden house and how they had made it feel better. It was after dark on the first night, when the pain killers that had been making her able to cope with the broken leg wore off. She cried out in pain, clinging to Jacques. He tried to help her the best he could but the few medications that they had savaged from their burnt out village didn't help. It was almost a relief when the TARDIS door opened and Martha stepped out. She was with the Master again and they walked slowly among the people greeting them and trying to offer assistance. She stopped when she came to Emma.

"Not feeling well Emma," Martha asked her as she knelt down. Emma nodded pitifully against her father's chest.

"My leg hurts," She whined.

"I have medicine that can make her leg feel better," Martha informed Jacques looking up at him.

"We don't need a Time Lord's help," Jacques answered. He desperately wanted to help Emma though. His pride as well as fear of the Time Lords was the only thing that stopped him from accepting the help.

"I understand but Emma is in pain. I don't want to hurt your daughter or anyone else here. You don't have enough medication, bandages or shelter for all these people. We can help if you will only give us a chance," Martha told him. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a small vial of pills and set it down in front of Jacques. "Just think about it." Standing up she moved on to the next group. Jacques picked up the vial, looking at the label. He was tempted to throw it but instead slipped it into his own pocket.

Based on the moon, it was after midnight when he pulled the pills back out. Emma hadn't stopped crying and was trembling against him. She was wrapped in his coat so he knew she wasn't cold but in pain from her leg. Desperate now to help her, he swallowed his pride and pulled the vial out. He had fought with himself about giving her the pill since they were given to him. If the Time Lords wanted his daughter dead there was no reason they would wait. Yet it could be a trap, he didn't think so though. Emma wasn't afraid of the woman who came by. He finally took a pill out and praying to the gods he was doing the right thing helped her to take it. Within an hour she was sleeping peacefully against him.

The next day he accepted clean bandages for his wife and food for his sons. The other villagers seeing him taking from the Time Lords slowly began to come around. They took food as well and accepted blankets as well as cots to sleep on to get their injured off of the ground. Martha had her work cut out for her between the recovering Doctor on the TARDIS as well as the people who she was treating in the clearing. Jack came off the TARDIS late the second day to help the Master erect tents in case rain came before they could build new homes. He saw his counterpart Jacques tending to his family, it made him smile but also sad as he remembered the children he had raised and out lived. Jacques would never have that problem, he would live a mortal life with his children.

"They are going to have to rebuild their homes and they lost about half of their population but they are going to make it," Jack told the Doctor as he sat with him later that night. The Doctor was sitting up more in bed though he was still just barely bent at the waist using the pillows to help prop him up. In front of him he had a cup of tea and a partially eaten banana.

"How is Emma?" The Doctor questioned. He had liked the little girl that he only got to spend a short time with. He was sorry for Jack that he didn't get to continue caring for her, but Emma was with her family again.

"She is doing good. Martha is going to see about getting her up on crutches tomorrow as long as she doesn't have any setbacks tonight," Jack explained to the Doctor. The Doctor nodded as he pushed the banana back and forth on the tray. "There are a few more seriously injured that Martha is trying to convince to have surgery and Emma's mother, Sarah, was badly burned in the fire that destroyed their home. We were going to try to stick around for awhile to make sure they are cared for before going back to Gallifrey and the trial of the Outlaw."

"It really won't be a trial Jack. He has all ready been convicted of his crimes across the universe. Those crimes will be restated plus any that occurred since the original sentencing. If he chooses to fight it, he will be subjected to the Sacakurdi," The Doctor told Jack. "If he doesn't argue then he will be locked in a cell for the remainder of his days or forced to regenerate and outlawed to a planet of the Time Lord Council's choosing with no TARDIS."

"So we don't actually have to be there," Jack asked. The Doctor nodded.

"It is better that we are though since we are the ones that finally caught him," The Doctor answered. He smiled as Jack kissed his knuckles, though his smile gave way as he yawned.

"Get some sleep sweetheart," Jack told him. The Doctor shook his head no. "You are still recovering and you need to sleep."

"Not until the Master gets back," The Doctor argued. Jack couldn't help but smile. The two of them had spent the last few nights curled up around the Doctor, holding him while he slept and recovered. Jack couldn't wait until he could hold the Doctor in their own bed once more but he was still going to be in the medi-bay for awhile because of his damaged liver and internal injuries from the bullet. Martha wasn't sure how long as it all depended on how well the Doctor recovered.

"He will join us shortly I am sure," Jack told the Doctor. He moved the Doctor's tray before climbing up on the bed with him. The Doctor turned so that he could hold Jack as he slept. Jack ran his fingers softly through the Doctor's hair but stubborn as always the Doctor refused to sleep until the Master joined them on the bed. He wrapped himself so that he was spooning with the Doctor as the Doctor continued to hold Jack. Within minutes the Doctor was sleeping peacefully.

"They are all moved into tents and all on cots now up off the ground. Martha and Marta were still out there with them when I came in talking to one of the men who needs surgery. We are hoping to get him in tomorrow morning and then Emma's mother in later for an evaluation to see if we can help with the burns," The Master told Jack in a voice barely above a whisper to hopefully not wake the sleeping Doctor.

"They are going to be coming onto the TARDIS?" Jack asked slightly concerned. He wanted to help the people but he was concerned that they could hurt the Doctor in his weakened state.

"We will have the TARDIS create a separate room in the medi-bay. He will be out of the way and safe from anyone who would wish to cause him harm," The Master reassured Jack. Jack leaned forward and kissed the Master softly on the mouth.

"Thank you for everything. We would have been lost here without you," Jack said leaning back.

"I am sure you would have found your way," The Master argued. Jack disagreed though. The Master had helped them find their feet in the new universe and gave him the relationship he always wanted with the Doctor. As soon as the Doctor was healed, Jack felt as though he could have a life in this universe after all with the two men he loved.

-DW-

It was the middle of the night in the medi-bay and Jack was still laying awake beside his lovers. They had long since fell asleep, with the Doctor still snuggled up against him. The Master had been spooning the Doctor but had since turned over, one leg hanging off the bed and his arm was thrown over his face. Jack couldn't help the chuckle that escaped as he watched the Master sleep on comfortably, oblivious to the fact he was going to fall off the bed if he turned over again. Jack had been resting peacefully, but the sound of crying had disturbed him. Carefully he moved the Doctor's arms, getting off the warm bed. The Doctor let out a groan of unhappiness at the loss of warmth. He stretched out his body moaning softly as he reached for thin air. The Master opened his eyes at the Doctor's distress. He turned over into the Doctor, holding him tightly from behind as the Doctor kept reaching forward.

"Where are you going?" The Master questioned quietly as he tried to soothe the Doctor.

"To check on Martha, I will be back soon," Jack promised. He hoped the Doctor calmed down and went back to sleep. The comfort the Master was giving him though wasn't working as the Doctor obviously wanted something to hold. His breathing was beginning to quicken, indicating that he was waking up.

"Give him a pillow," The Master commented as the Doctor kept reaching for nothing. Jack looked at him curiously for a moment before handing the Doctor one of the extra pillows from the bed. The Doctor curled around it, his breathing evening out once more.

"I'll be right back," Jack promised. He left the medi-bay, heading out into the corridors. As he moved down them, he could hear the crying becoming louder. The person was trying to hide their distress, but he could hear them clearly. He didn't know if that was because of the TARDIS or if they were crying louder than they realized. Coming to a door, he paused outside of it. Looking at the door he saw that he was standing outside of Martha's room. He didn't knock before letting himself into the room.

Martha was sitting up on her bed. She had her legs pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. There was a pillow between her legs and her chest and she had her face pressed into it as she sobbed. Jack moved to her side, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She leaned into him, letting him comfort her as she continued to cry.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked softly. He rested his cheek on the top of her head while rubbing her back softly.

"I miss my mum," Martha sobbed. "I'm never going to see her or the rest of my family again, am I?"

"I don't know," Jack responded honestly. They were going to do their best to find the door again to take Martha home. The problem was they had no idea where to begin. Torchwood didn't exist in this universe. Also, they had no way of knowing if they were only able to go through the door one way. There was also the question if the door had always existed or had been created by something or someone at a certain point in time. Jack realized that there was far too many questions that they should have tried to answer before entering into the universe. While he and the Doctor had people they would miss in the other universe as well, they didn't have a family the way Martha did. Here the two of them could have a life with the Master and the Doctor could live on Gallifrey once more. While Martha would eventually adapt to living in the new universe, her family on the other side would always wonder what happened to her. It wasn't fair and Jack knew it. He just didn't know how to make it right. He held Martha until she had cried herself to sleep. Tucking her under the blankets, he didn't return to the medi-bay but instead headed off the TARDIS.

The world was alive with noise around him. For even though it was the middle of the night and the citizens of the peninsula were sleeping peacefully, the creatures were awake and hunting. He could hear an owl calling in the night and the chirp of the cricket-like creatures singing in the moonlight. He heard the crunch of something larger breaking sticks as it approached the camp. The perimeter alert remained quiet though. Looking up Jack stared at the stars above him. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen so many stars in the night sky. Certainly not since he had lived in Cardiff. Here they blanketed the world, shining brightly in the technology free world. Laying down on his back, he looked for the few constellations that he knew.

Tears filled his own eyes as he remembered doing the same thing with his father. Gray was just an infant when his father took him out to the meadow near their home one night. There the two of them had laid on their back's looking up at the stars above them. His father had pointed out the stars, naming them for Jack. He was telling Jack about the old gods and the ones that lived up on the mountains. Jack though was amazed by how many stars there were and one day wanted to travel among them. He had dreamed of coming home to tell his father about the people of the stars and the old gods he had found in them. That dream of course changed when his village was destroyed as well. Then he had just cursed the gods, not caring if they killed him. He lost his father, brother and mother in the course of a few hours. He didn't know at the time that both his brother and mother lived. His younger brother had been missing for years while his mother had never been the same. Hearing footsteps approach, he sat up quickly wiping his eyes.

"Thank you for taking such good care of Emma for me. She mentioned that I was there with her when she was with the Time Lords and so she wasn't afraid of them" Jacques commented coming closer to Jack. He had been sitting outside of his tent, staring at the stars as well. He couldn't sleep with his family still suffering thanks to the Outlaw. He had watched Jack come out of the TARDIS and lay on the grass outside of it. He had seen Jack in the distance a few times over the last few days, but tonight was the first chance he had to actually talk to him. Even though Emma seemed to think the two of them looked exactly alike, but Jacques thought that Jack looked more like a brother.

"She is a very brave little girl," Jack answered him. He stood up so that Jacques was no longer looming over him. Instead, he looked his almost double in the eyes as he studied him. Jaques skin was slightly tanned from being out in the sun. He also had a beard that he hadn't bothered to shave in a few days. Still he could see why Emma had them mistaken. "Take good care of her."

"I will," Jacques answered. Jack turned and headed back on to the TARDIS closing the doors behind him. Returning to the medi-bay, he didn't get on the bed but instead sat beside it. He wasn't going to sleep tonight. Closing his eyes, he listened to his lovers breathing as he waited for the morning to come.


	10. Chapter 10

Their helping the survivors the next day was delayed due to the Doctor. He woke up cranky and feeling cold. He just wanted to spend the day curled up between Jack and the Master and was unhappy they had work to do. He didn't touch his breakfast. Making the total amount of food that he had eaten in the last twenty-four hours a half of a banana. The IV in his arm was providing him nutrition, but he needed to start eating again if he was going to get his weight and his strength up.

"You love toast with marmalade," Jack informed the Doctor as he sat on the edge of the Doctor's bed. The Doctor had turned so that he was laying with his head on Jack's thigh, not looking at him.

"I'm not hungry Jack," He answered him. His abdomen still was sore from the bullet wound and the surgery. He should have started to heal by now, but his stomach felt just as sour as the day that it happened. He had put on a brave face yesterday. This morning though, it was too much for him to even try. He felt childish because he just wanted to be held and didn't want them to go.

"You should still try to eat," The Master told him. He shook his head no, wrapping his arms around Jack's waist to hold him in place. The Master noted that the Doctor looked as though his skin had a slight yellow tint to it. With his liver damaged jaundice was a likely cause. It was unlikely he would need a new liver because being a Time Lord his body should be able to repair it. He reached out gently smoothing the Doctor's hair back on his cool forehead.

"I don't want to," He whined slightly. When Martha came in to check on him it was obvious that he wasn't having a good morning. He was refusing still to let go of Jack and he became even crankier when Martha stood by his side. He didn't want to be poked and prodded by her. Still since he was holding Jack in place he couldn't stop her from checking the surgical wound on his abdomen.

"After I finish checking him, I am going to bring Sarah and Emma in first to see how we can help them," Martha informed the Master.

"I will have the TARDIS set up a secondary medi-bay for them," The Master answered. He stood up to head to the console. Before he left though he stopped to kiss the Doctor on the head. "I promise I will be nearby if you need me."

"I need you," The Doctor told him.

"I know but so do the people outside. We can't deny them care because you aren't feeling well," The Master whispered understandingly. The Doctor nodded he really couldn't argue with the Master. The people did need help and it wasn't fair to make Emma wait on getting crutches or Sarah wait to have her burns treated just because he was feeling sick. He had been shot and had surgery. Feeling sick was to be expected until he had healed. He started to release Jack's waist, but Martha stopped him.

"Your liver isn't healing as well as we hoped. After I finish with the others I am going to perform an ultrasound on your liver. I am worried that a duct may have become blocked and that is what is causing your jaundice coloration. If that is the case we are going to have to perform another surgery first thing tomorrow morning to repair it," Martha informed him.

"Do you think that is the case?" Jack questioned. Martha nodded.

"I think that is the most likely scenario based on the information the TARDIS has supplied me about his liver. I won't know for sure until after I perform the ultrasound though," Martha replied. She stood up moving away from the bed.

"I will stay with you until after the ultrasound," Jack told the Doctor.

"You have to help the people. They need you," The Doctor argued him when he was actually grateful Jack was going to stay with him. He really didn't want to be alone. He especially was happy that Jack was there when Martha returned to the bedside a moment later. In her hand, she was holding a syringe with a larger needle on it. He had no doubt that she was planning on giving him that injection in his bottom and he really didn't want it. Still he couldn't fight her and win. He could either accept the injection and get it out of the way or argue her, have everyone gain up against him and still get the injection.

"I am going to give you an antibiotic injection. Now I just need you to turn a little bit more and lower your trousers," Martha informed him. The Doctor did as she instructed, hiding his bright red face in Jack's lap. Jack held him as he hissed, tightening his grip around Jack as Martha gave him the injection. He was liking Martha less and less as she treated him, even though she had a reason for all the poking and prodding. He was grateful when Jack pulled his trousers up again and wrapped the blanket around him. He rested in the safety of Jack's arms as he waited for Martha to return.

-DW-

Jacques allowed the Master to carry Emma onto the strange ship as he followed behind carefully supporting Sarah. He paused in the doorway, staring in disbelief that the inside was larger than the outside. He wanted nothing more to turn and go back to his tent, but he had his family to think of. Emma seemed perfectly fine with the fact it was larger as the Master carried through a door to the right of the entrance. The room inside seemed even more out of place as it had simple wood paneling and cabinets in it. There was a raised bed sitting in the room as well as a stool, for the doctor. It looked more like the clinic they had before the village burned than a room on a spaceship. Still it made Jacques feel better to see it.

He helped Sarah to lay upon the bed while Martha looked at Emma. Her leg was healing well and she was eager to be able to move around again. Martha got her a pair of crutches and helped her to support herself on them. She was slow at using them, getting frustrated easily. Jacques had no doubt though that she would be chasing her brothers soon enough. He had James take her off the TARDIS while they dealt with Sarah.

Her arm, shoulder, and neck had been burned badly in the fire. The Master was optimistic though. There had been many advances made since the twenty-first century that Martha didn't know of. He removed all the bandages from Sarah's arm, then applied a cream to cover her entire arm. The cream was a pale white and he didn't rub it in but left it so he could see it. On top of the cream, he wrapped a thin bandage, followed by a thicker one. The cream would help her arm to heal but would have to be reapplied several times. He gave Jacques strong painkillers for Sarah to take as the healing process would be painful.

The rest of the morning, they stayed in the clinic treating people who had been injured by the Outlaw. The man who needed surgery came in for an evaluation on his injury. The cut on his leg was deep but not life threatening, still the sooner he had surgery the better. Martha wanted to perform the surgery on the Doctor first, if he did need it, so she planned the surgery on the man's leg for later in the afternoon. The Master was relieved that the baby he had saw while looking for the outlaw was brought on. Her arm wasn't as bad as he initially thought. It just had looked that way since she was so little. She was going to be fine though in time.

After Martha ate lunch she returned once more to the Doctor's side. He was sleeping in Jack's arms but woke easily. She knew it wasn't fair to wake him, but she had to examine him. The ultrasound revealed nothing they didn't already know. His liver was badly damaged due to the bullet. The next option was an x-ray with dye injected into his liver. Martha had to use a long thin needle to insert the dye. The Doctor moaned as Jack looked into his eyes, unable to watch. They stepped out of the room as the x-ray was performed and the test revealed what Martha already suspected.

"He needs to go nil by mouth at midnight," Martha informed Jack. "I am taking him in first thing for surgery."

"I don't think him not eating will be a problem," Jack told her sadly as he went to hold the Doctor again.

"Jack," The Doctor questioned as he came back into the room. He had been waiting for them to return so he knew for sure whether or not he needed surgery again. The look on Jack's face said it all though. He was grateful Jack was there for him as Martha came into give him the bad news.

After the Doctor fell asleep that night, Jack carefully untangled himself from the sleeping man's arms. He took the Master by the hand and led him out of the medi-bay. Martha didn't comment as she moved over to the bed to check the Doctor's vitals and sit with him in case he woke up. The Master and Jack needed a moment alone together and she could give them that. Jack took the Master to his old room. Laying down on the bed the Master crawled over him, kissing him softly. It was strange not having the Doctor there with them, but they both need this release. Jack kissed softly up the Master's neck as the Master groaned. The Master settled his groin down on Jack's moving his hips slowly as their mouths met once more. There was no rushing in their movements or fighting for dominance. Jack reached down between them, unzipping their trousers and taking both cocks in his hand. They both continued to move until Jack found his release first followed by the Master. After they lay in each other's arms for a moment just trying to catch their breaths. They both missed the Doctor being a part of their bedroom activities, but there was no way to know when he would be able to join them again. Jack got up first, pulling the Master to his feet. He didn't want to be away from the Doctor any longer than he had to. Together they showered quickly before returning to the Doctor's side to cuddle him between them once more. He didn't wake nor realize his lovers had disappeared as he slept peacefully through the night.

Come morning he didn't want to wake though. They tried to gently wake him and let him know that he was going into surgery soon. He didn't care as he groaned, wrapping his arms tighter around Jack and burying his face. Martha brushed the hair back on his sweaty forehead, causing him to moan, but he still didn't wake fully.

"Your call," She told the Master not happy with the circumstances. They had to perform the surgery soon as he was getting worse, but she wasn't sure if he was strong enough to operate on. She trusted the Master's opinion though and if he said they were still going to operate she would scrub up. Regardless of her own hesitations. The Master knelt down so that he was near the Doctor's head.

"We are going to take you into surgery in a few minutes sweetheart. I would really like it if you would open your eyes for me so that I can give you a kiss before you go," The Master told him. He ran his fingers gently behind the Doctor's ear. The Doctor turned his head slightly so he could look at the Master.

"Will you be here when I wake?" He asked softly. The Master looked at Martha nodding that they would be continuing. Martha turned to give them a moment alone, heading to the cupboard to get the Doctor's sedative.

"No, but I will be nearby. Jack will be with you though. I have more surgeries to perform before I can sit with you, but I will be there as soon as I can. I promise," The Master told him. He kissed the Doctor softly on the head, then on his lips. Jack placed his hand on the Doctor's check, turning his head slightly so that he could kiss the Doctor as well. Martha returned to the bedside.

"We'll hold you until you are asleep," Jack reassured the Doctor. The Master sat down on the bed with them as Martha injected the sedative. The Doctor fought against the sedative, but soon enough he was sleeping again. Jack carefully eased the Doctor onto the bed once more. He was going to be assisting with the surgery this time as he didn't have to watch Emma. He missed the little girl but was relieved that he was able to help his lovers.

"Go scrub up. If everything goes well he will be in and out of surgery quickly," The Master told Jack.

"I hope so," Jack commented. He kissed the Doctor one last time before he hurried off to get ready. The Doctor was taken into the secondary room. Marta monitored the anesthesia as the other three operated. The Doctor was ventilated as a precaution, but his vitals weren't as bad as Martha originally feared. Once they started the surgery though it quickly became obvious why the Doctor was feeling so sick. His liver was enlarged and where they had tried to repair it was inflamed. The Master swore under his breath as he observed the damage.

"His body is rejecting the damaged section," the Master informed them.

"So he will need a transplant after all," Jack stated.

"The problem is that even in this universe his body is unique. Finding him a match for the transplant would be next to impossible. If we don't save his liver he is going to have no choice but to regenerate and I promised him that wouldn't happen," The Master told them as he tried to decide what to do.

"We won't let that happen. There has to be a way to help him," Jack stated, looking the Master in the eyes. The Master didn't return the gaze for long as he turned his eyes downward again.

"What do you recommend so that doesn't happen?" Martha questioned. She was thankful that the Master was there and knew what was happening to the Time Lord's

"We remove the blockage as well as the damaged part of his liver. His body should regenerate it, but in the meantime he is going to need medication to support his liver function. I also want to put him on drugs to keep his body from rejecting the repair again. It could just be that it was too damaged for his body to heal, but it is hard to know for sure," The Master explained.

"Majority of his liver is damaged, if we remove all of the damaged areas he is only going to have about %25 of it left. That is very risky," Martha told the Master. If he was human she wouldn't think of risking it. She would remove the blockage and be looking for a transplant.

"I know but it is his best chance," The Master agreed. He didn't see another option if they were going to keep the Doctor in his current body.

"Then it has to be done," Martha said. The Master looked to Jack who nodded his agreement. He took a deep breath and praying silently to whatever gods were out there that it worked began.

The Doctor was in surgery almost five hours as they removed the damaged pieces of his liver and removed the blockage. There were no further complications as Martha stitched him up. Together Jack and the Master took him back out into the medi-bay. The Master made sure the Doctor was stable and that the antidote to the anesthesia was given to him before leaving his side. He wanted more than anything to stay with the Doctor, but he had to prepare for the surgery on the man's leg. On top of that he didn't want the Doctor afraid of him if he woke up confused.

It didn't take long for the Doctor to wake after the antidote was given. He groaned, rubbing his face against the pillow. His hand flexed slightly trying to pull the blankets up a little, but giving up before he had made any progress.

"Waking up Doctor?" Jack wondered softly as he took the Doctor's hand in his. For a brief moment, he saw the Doctor's eyes before he closed them again.

"Tea?" The Doctor wondered, sounding almost breathless.

"Water first," Martha answered holding the cup for him. He wasn't happy with the fact he didn't get tea, but he wanted a drink too much to complain. Martha guided the straw to his mouth. He didn't seem to notice as she placed the straw against his lip. He just left it there.

"Open your eyes so that you can take a drink," Jack cooed at him. The Doctor wrinkled his brow. That made no sense to him. Why would he need to open his eyes to take a drink of water? He was the one who had surgery, but Jack was the one who sounded confused. He was going to have to talk to him about how it was possible to drink with his eyes closed later. Realizing there was a straw against his bottom lip, he latched on taking a small sip before he drifted back to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

The Master spent most of the afternoon in surgery. He repaired the man's leg with the help of Marta. The man's life would be limited from now on, but he would keep his leg. They took him into a secondary recovery room for him to awaken from the surgery. Martha came into run through his vitals while the Master headed to the Doctor's room. He wanted nothing more to spend time with his lover, but he wasn't sure that he could yet. Jack was still sitting by the Doctor's bed and not in it as they normally did.

"Has he been awake yet?" The Master questioned in concern.

"Twice," Jack answered with a smile. He reached out and brushed the Doctor's hair off his forehead. "The first time he only had a drink of water. The second time he was only awake long enough to explain to me that he didn't need to open his eyes to drink water."

"I don't," The Doctor informed them. He opened his eyes a crack to see who Jack was talking to, a smile spreading across his face when he saw the Master. The Master came over to him, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"How are you feeling," The Master asked as he sat down on the side of the bed.

"Sleepy," The Doctor answered, turning so that he could lay his head on the Master's leg.

"You need to keep still, you just had surgery," The Master said as he stopped the Doctor from turning. He moved closer to the Doctor's head so that the Doctor didn't have to turn. The Doctor smiled sadly as he laid his head on the Master's thigh. The Master gently ran his fingers through the Doctor's hair as the Doctor closed his eyes again. "No, stay awake for a moment we need to talk."

"Why," The Doctor moaned. Jack looked at the Master.

"Can't it wait?" Jack wondered on the Doctor's behalf as he watched the Doctor struggle to keep his eyes open. He was still sleeping off the anesthesia, but something else seemed wrong with how sleepy the Doctor was. Martha had informed Jack that it was just due to the amount of medications that he was currently on. Jack couldn't help but worry though. He reached out and took the Doctor's hand in his own.

"I am sorry Jack but it is important," The Master apologized to Jack. Jack nodded as the Master turned his attention back to the Doctor. "We need to discuss your surgery. As you know we took you into surgery in order to remove the blockage from inside your liver. We managed to remove the blockage, but your body wasn't healing your liver correctly from the bullet wound. You liver was swollen and inflamed it was only a matter of time before your body rejected it. In order to give you a fighting chance, we removed all of the damaged sections. Unfortunately, that left you only %25 of your liver."

"I can't live with only %25," The Doctor spoke up showing that he was listening. He sounded panicked as he squeezed Jack's hand tightly.

"I know. I still think we can save this body but in order to do that, you need to go into a healing coma," The Master told him.

"I haven't been able to achieve one in this body," The Doctor answered the Master. He felt tears filling his eyes. He didn't want to regenerate. He had avoided the ood in order to keep alive and now he was going to regenerate because his body didn't heal itself correctly. The energy that healed his body had been wrong ever since he had woken up early due to Rose needing help.

"If you trust me to enter your mind, I can help you. Then you only need to maintain the coma until your body has healed itself. You will be monitored the entire time and give medication to help support your body in healing," The Master explained to him.

"I trust you," The Doctor told him. The Master leaned in and kissed the Doctor gently on the lips. As he did he moved his hands to the Doctor's temples and closed his eyes. The Doctor opened his mind allowing the Master to enter it. Jack watched the monitors as the Doctor's breathing slowed, his mind showing less and less activity as his body temperature rose. The Master moved his hands away. Getting out of the bed, he turned the Doctor onto his back.

"How long will it take?" Jack questioned. The Doctor's hand had gone lax in his, but he refused to let go.

"I don't know. His body doesn't heal correctly. In normal circumstances, he would be able to heal it within an hour or so. I expect he may be in the healing coma for longer. Then he will need a few days to recover and be back on his feet. It is better then the weeks that we were predicting for his body to heal. That is if it works. If not he is going to regenerate and we will have to support him with that too," The Master told Jack.

"I won't leave him. Regardless of whether or not he regenerates. I am going to stay by his side as long as he lets me," Jack informed the Master.

"We both will." The Master sat down in the chair beside Jack. He put one arm around Jack's shoulders. With the other, he reached out and put his hand over the Doctor's and Jacks. Together they sat quietly waiting for the Doctor to heal.

-DW-

Almost three hours passed as they sat watching the Doctor. On the surface, nothing was noticeable as he continued to breathe slow and steady, but his energy was dropping steadily. Soon he would reach a point where they would either have to wake him or put up high nutrient drips in order to continue to support his healing process. The Master debated with himself which path to take as he sat holding Jack. In the end, though he chose to wake the Doctor. Not only because it would be better for him to have a break from the healing but also he wanted to spend time with his lover.

"I am going to wake him in about a half an hour," He informed Jack as he quickly calculated how much energy the Doctor would lose in that time frame. In order to make sure the Doctor's energy would renew itself, it had to stay about %45. Right now, it was sitting closer to %55 but the Master wanted to make sure he didn't actually get to %45.

"Is he done healing?" Jack asked hopefully.

"I don't think so, but he needs to renew his energy before he can continue. Waking him will allow him to eat and rest. We will also run several examines and x-rays on him to see if he actually needs to go into another coma or if he can continue to heal successfully without it," The Master explained.

"He is going to be cranky when he wakes up with his energy so low. I am going to make him a cup of tea and grab a few bananas for him to eat until we can coax more food into him," Jack told the Master. He stood up, stretching his sore body.

"I would bring a thermos of tea as I think it is going to take more than one cup to make him happy again," The Master suggested. He didn't have a lot of experience with this Time Lord beyond him needing to be held when he didn't feel well. He was going to take Jack's word that tea and bananas would cheer him up faster. He waited until Jack was gone before he stood and went to the Doctor's side. Carefully he peeled the bandage on his side back revealing a thick red scar. The wound itself had been closed and the stitches sat darkly against the pale skin. Grabbing a pair of scissors, the Master removed the stitches from the Doctor's side. He cleaned the area with antiseptic just in case.

"How is he?" Jack wondered as he came back into the room and saw the Master standing over the Doctor.

"He has healed his incision. I am going to wait and perform the ultrasound and x-rays until after he is awake," The Master answered. He climbed up onto the bed beside the Doctor and motioned for Jack to get in on the other side. Together they held the Doctor between them as the Master placed his hands on the Doctor's temples.

"It's time to wake up now," The Master cooed as he gently pushed into the Doctor's mind. He coaxed the Doctor out of the coma and his mind back to the surface without fully waking him. Removing his fingertips from the Doctor's temples he turned to look at Jack.

"Sweethearts, I have a nice cuppa for you," Jack informed the Doctor softly as he kissed him on the head.

"No," The Doctor moaned, turning into the Master more.

"Yes, it is time for you to wake up. Now open those eyes for us," The Master whispered. The Doctor forced his eyes open to look at the Master. His eyes were filled with tears at being woke up and it was obvious he was still miserable. Before he had time to whine though, he was pulled into a sitting position and the tea was pressed to his lips by Jack. Carefully he tilted the cup allowing the Doctor to drink the hot liquid. Once the Doctor had drank the first mouthful it seemed to trigger how thirsty he really was and Jack had to stop him from chugging the rest.

"Easy. You don't want to make yourself get sick," Jack told him as he tilted the cup back.

"Fine," The Doctor sighed crankily. The Master and Jack didn't comment on his attitude as they continued to let him wake up. "Did it work?"

"I don't know. Your energy had fallen too far for you to stay in the coma. Once you wake up a little more we will perform an ultrasound to see how your liver is healing," The Master answered him.

"What if it didn't work?" The Doctor asked him fearfully. He stopped drinking the tea, raising his hand to push Jack's down.

"Then you will get your energy up and we will try again," The Master said more calmly than he felt. "Now finish your cup of tea and have a banana."

"But," The Doctor began. The Master put a finger to the Doctor's lips.

"Trust me," The Master told him. The Doctor nodded.

"I do," He replied. "I trust both of you."

"Then eat," Jack told him. He opened one of the bananas he had brought with him and handed it to the Doctor. The Doctor ate the banana quickly and reached for a second. Jack looked at the Master who nodded. Jack handed the Doctor a second banana, watching him devour that one as well. He then finished off his cup of tea with a happy slurp. His eyes lit up as Jack poured him a second cup from the thermos beside the bed. They quickly narrowed though as the Master stood up.

"You are going to poke me," The Doctor complained.

"Just a little. Now I need you to lie back so that I can look at your liver," The Master answered. The Doctor laid back, holding onto Jack as he did so. He had already lost the warmth of being sandwiched between his lovers and wasn't willing to lose Jack's warmth as well. Jack made sure to lay so that he wasn't blocking the Master from his work as he held onto the Doctor in return. The Master turned the monitor away from them as he squirted the cold gel onto the Doctor's abdomen. Running the wand along his skin he found his liver quickly. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he saw that the coma had worked. Though the Doctor hadn't healed his liver completely it was just over half way there.

"It worked?" The Doctor asked a little anxious as he saw the smile on the Master's face.

"It did," The Master turned the screen so his two lovers could see it. The Doctor's smile matched his own as he saw that he wasn't going to have to regenerate. He could stay in this body and finish healing. He turned to Jack, pressing his lips to his. He moaned as Jack kissed him deeply and passionately. "Easy now Jack, he still isn't completely healed."

"Soon," Jack informed the Doctor as he broke the kiss. He kissed the Doctor softly on the lips again as the Master laughed.

"At least another week regardless of whether or not he goes into the healing coma," The Master told them. He put the ultrasound machine away and then took the Doctor to have x-rays performed. Despite both of their protest, he made Jack get out of the bed for them. The x-rays came back showing that the Doctor had almost completely healed his damaged rib where the bullet had lodged itself. He was well on his way to recovery. Once recovered though they had to return to Gallifrey for the trial of the Master and his companion Rose Tyler. The Master decided not to mention it though as he climbed back on the bed with Jack and the Doctor and took solace in the knowledge that he had accomplished something that he never could have with the Outlaw. He had saved the Doctor.

-DW-

The Doctor dressed slowly with unsure fingers. His body still felt weak even if the Master had assured him that he was healing. A week had passed since the desperate surgery to save his life and while his liver was still healing itself it had been decided that he didn't need another healing coma. Still he didn't like healing slowly and was finding being weak irritating. He wanted to build his new life with his lovers and not be confined to the medi-bay anymore.

"I still think you should take a few more days to rest Doc," Jack spoke up from where he was watching the Doctor.

"I am tired of resting Jack," The Doctor answered. He turned slightly to see Jack lying on his bed. Jack smiled at him as he made a point to stretch out further. It was tempting to climb back into bed with him, but he was determined to make it off of the TARDIS today. He wanted to see the small community of survivors that he had heard about. He also wanted to head to the cells and speak with Rose. He was sure that she was the same woman that he had left on the beach and he wanted to know how she ended up in this universe. He also wanted to know where the metacrisis was. One thing at a time though. He finished buttoning up his shirt and turned to head out of the room. Within a moment, Jack was beside him, holding his arm to support him.

"I can't convince you to stay can I?" Jack questioned. The Doctor smiled.

"There is too much to see Jack. I'm fine and if I need to, I can lay down again later," he reassured Jack. Leaning over he kissed his lover on the cheek making Jack smile as well. Together they walked arm in arm through the console room and out into the bright sun of the Boshane Peninsula. The Doctor stood just outside the TARDIS doors observing the people. It had been almost two weeks since the Outlaw destroyed their lives and already they were starting to rebuild. The clearing that had become their sanctuary was turning into their homes. All around the clearing structures were rising as the stronger men and women of the village worked. The Doctor laughed as he watched Emma race by on her crutches chasing after her three brothers.

"Doctor," Martha called out as she saw him standing by the TARDIS. Handing her basket of fruit over to another of the women she made her way over to him. "Decided against the bed rest I ordered?"

"Well." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I am happy to see that they are rebuilding their lives. Humans, you get knocked down, but you always find a way to persevere." The Doctor grinned happily at her.

"They are still suffering from their losses. A lot of people lost friends or family members that day. There were even a few children who were orphaned, but the survivors have rallied together and they aren't going to let this destroy them," Martha informed the Doctor. She was amazed as well that they were already rebuilding their lives such a short time later.

"We are going to be leaving soon. The Council has summoned us back for the trial of the Outlaw," The Master told them as he came up behind Jack and the Doctor. He put his arm around the Doctor, kissing him on the side of the head.

"I'm not going with you," Martha said. The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "I know that it is unlikely that you will be able to find the door again. The Master told me that the coordinates for it were lost since the TARDIS was unable to link with the vortex. I loved traveling with you again Doctor, but I am needed here. The doctor of the village was killed during the Outlaw's attack. Emma is going to need her cast off soon and rehabilitation and there are others who need me as well. I can't just leave them." The Doctor stepped forward wrapping his arms around her. She hugged him back just as tightly.

"We will find the door Martha and I will get you home," He promised her softly.

"And if you don't I understand." She whispered. Leaning back she spoke louder. "You take care of yourself and if you ever need me, you know where to find me." She hugged Jack goodbye as well before hurrying off to help the others.

"Marta is staying as well. It seems that your Martha's influence has been good on her," The Master stated. The three of them turned and went back into the console room. The TARDIS hummed happily at the Doctor as he took his place at her controls. It was a simple quick jump back to Gallifrey and one that he planned to make many times throughout the years. This universe had started out as a new place to explore, but just like the survivors in the clearing, the Doctor had found a home. He had the Master and Jack as his lovers and though they weren't the Time Lords he left they were the ones he always dreamed they could be.

He landed the TARDIS outside of the Master's home rather than at the citadel. He was still wary of the people who lived outside of the citadel, but hopefully today's trial would help. The sentencing of the Outlaw was an open and shut case. The Council just had to decide if they were going to lock him in the cells forever or force him to regenerate. Either one was an unpleasant sentence. He wasn't ready to head there yet. There was still one more thing he needed to do first. He had to speak to Rose.

The cells of the TARDIS had not been actively used since the days of the time war. During that time, the Doctor had kept many prisoners in them and just setting foot down in the unused space brought back those memories. He could see the men and women looking at him with contempt in their eyes as he held them prisoner. He never kept them for long, offloading them in a prison cell or at a prison colony. He wasn't a jail keeper and never wanted to be. As he entered the cells he found that the majority of the room was still dark, with only one prison cell lit up. He motioned for Jack to wait by the door, as he moved closer to the cell. Inside Rose sat on the small cot leaning against the wall.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Rose commented as she looked up at him. He looked down at himself a moment. He knew that he still looked sick but otherwise he was dressed in his suit and thought he looked normal.

"What happened to you Rose?" He asked her as he turned his attention back to her.

"You left me on the beach with that thing," Rose told him.

"I left you with him so that you could be happy Rose. He loved you and you could have spent the rest of your life togeth..." He started to tell her.

"He left me," She screamed at him, interrupting his sentence.

"Why?" The Doctor asked slightly surprised.

"Because he wasn't the real Doctor and neither are you. I stayed with you after the Doctor was taken from me after the Gamestation. He loved me and I convinced myself that you did too. You didn't though, first chance you got you left me and moved on," Rose accused him.

"I didn't," The Doctor whispered. He still remembered how much it hurt the first few months after she was gone. He may have been with the Master and Jack now but it had taken a lot of time to get over Rose. How Martha ever forgave him for the way he treated her due to his anger and heartbreak, he wasn't sure.

"You did and then you left me on the beach like I had meant nothing to you. The thing you left couldn't love me either. He left me in the end too so I left. I found the Doctor here and he has been wonderful to me. He loves me and has no problems telling me or showing me," Rose informed the Doctor. She was staring at him with hatred in her eyes though she hadn't moved from the spot she was in.

"The Outlaw is not a good man Rose," The Doctor hissed at her.

"At least he was the real Doctor and not some fake," Rose snapped back. The Doctor turned away from the cell. He hurried out past Jack standing at the door and to his bedroom. He was trying hard to control his breathing and just wanted to be alone for a moment. His side was hurting with the strain he was putting on his body but at least it took away from the pain he was feeling in his hearts. All these years he had loved the young woman and had been happy to see her turn from the shop girl to a strong independent woman. A single tear rolled down his face and he brushed it away as he climbed up on his bed.

"Sweetheart?" Jack questioned coming into the room. He had heard everything and though he wanted to yell at Rose, his main concern was for the Doctor.

"Leave me alone Jack," The Doctor said as he sat on the bed.

"I can't," Jack told him, coming closer. He could see the pain in the Doctor's eyes. He just wanted to hold him and help the Doctor to let the pain go. Sitting down he wrapped his arms around his lover, pulling him close.

"Let me go," The Doctor hissed struggling against him.

"Just let it out Doctor," Jack cooed softly. He felt the bed sink lower and then another pair of arms wrap around his holding the Doctor from the other side. Looking up he saw the concerned eyes of the Master. The Master didn't question as they held the Doctor between them, trying to comfort the Time Lord. He had watched everything on the monitor in the console room and agreed that the Doctor shouldn't be alone. He had run from his feelings for too long, but now he had two people who cared about him and didn't want to see him in pain. Sandwiched between his lovers the Doctor broke. He grabbed on to Jack's shirt holding it tightly as he sobbed. They held him until long after he calmed down. He just wanted to sleep, but they had one more thing to attend to first.

-DW-

The trial of the Outlaw was little more than a reading off of his crimes and sentencing him. The crimes were numerous and the whole time they were being read the Outlaw just stared forward listening. He showed no remorse nor care for the many that he had killed and the thousand more lives that he had ruined. Though forced regeneration was an option, no one believed that the Time Lord would stay put on any one planet that he was sentenced to. Therefore, the original sentence of life within the cells of the Citadel was upheld. He would have round the clock guards and if he did try to escape they were ordered to kill him on sight. Whether or not the Outlaw cared about his sentence was unclear as he continued to not say one word in his defense even as he was led out of the Council room. The Master had no doubt that the Outlaw was already planning his escape and that soon enough he would be asked to catch him again.

After the trial, the three of them returned to the Master's home. The Doctor immediately climbed the stairs to the small room that he had been given. The Master followed him though, and taking his hand led him to a larger room at the end of the hall.

"This is your home too now," The Master informed him. Opening the door revealed a large bedroom decorated in the same blue color that the Doctor favored. The bed in the middle of the room was large enough for the three of them to share and the Doctor climbed up on it eager to rest. Jack and the Master joined him shortly after. The Doctor still wasn't well enough to participate in their love making, but that didn't stop him from kissing the Master and running his hands across his body as Jack moved inside of the Master. The Master held on to the Doctor as he moaned both their names. Finding their release, the three of them collapsed onto the bed with the Doctor in the middle once more. In the morning, there would be a new universe to explore with new planets and dangers. For now all that matter was the feel of each other's bodies as they drifted off to sleep.


End file.
